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Loading…Michael Kesselring rates as a solid middle-of-the-lineup defenseman: a 40.4 overall that ranks 192nd of 327 defensemen.
His best component is power-play production at 70, with finishing (14) trailing the rest of his game.
His rating fell from 90.3 in 2024-25 to 22.2 in 2025-26, one of the bigger drops in his 4-season card history.
At $4.5M through 2028-29 before unrestricted free agency, the model rates the deal Underpaid: his expected value is $7.84M, so the San Jose Sharks save roughly $3.34M a season against his production.
His cap hit is the 7th-largest on the San Jose Sharks NHL roster and uses 4.3% of the $104M ceiling; the club currently has $8.87M in cap space.
| Component | Rating (0-100) |
|---|---|
| Offense | 45 |
| Defense | 38 |
| Play driving | 57 |
| Finishing | 14 |
| Power play | 70 |
| Penalty kill | 25 |
| Season | Team | GP | Overall | WAR |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | BUF | 34 | 22.2 | -0.8 |
| 2024-25 | UTA | 82 | 90.3 | 0.2 |
| 2023-24 | ARI | 65 | 78.1 | -0.1 |
| 2022-23 | ARI | 9 | 34.6 | -0.6 |
Other SJS defensemen by rating: Dmitry Orlov (64.9), Jacob Trouba (48.1), Luca Cagnoni (36.4), Darnell Nurse (31.6). See the full San Jose Sharks cap sheet.
How we rate players: each skater's overall is a percentile (0-100) built from offense, defense, play driving, finishing, power-play and penalty-kill impact against players at the same position; goalies are rated on goals saved above expected. Contract value compares the cap hit with the salary the model expects for that level of production, age and position. Figures are updated as new games and signings arrive.