Oilers' interest in towering Sabres defenseman could lead to acquisition of an even bigger star
Photo credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images
The Michael Kesselring buzz in Edmonton isn't really about Michael Kesselring.
Jeff Marek reported on Sekeres & Price that the Oilers could pivot to the Buffalo Sabres defenseman if a Connor Murphy extension falls apart.
But Marek's full comment included a detail that changes the entire picture.
"[Sabres' D Michael] Kesselring's interesting; if the Oilers can't come to a deal with Connor Murphy...do they try to get Kesselring in as a replacement...he's not gonna be a top 4 unless they're gonna make a move with someone like Owen Power."
- Jeff Marek
- Jeff Marek
He noted Kesselring won't crack a top four unless Edmonton also makes a move involving a much bigger star like Owen Power. That framing turns a simple Plan B into the outline of a much larger defensive overhaul.
One name hides a two-move problem
Edmonton's right side ran through Evan Bouchard's 95-point season, but the depth behind him collapsed.
Murphy provided real stability after arriving from Chicago at the deadline, posting 5 goals and 12 assists across 80 games.
His final 10 were quietly excellent at plus-6. Extending a 33-year-old at his full $4.4 million cap hit is a different conversation than paying $2.2 million on a retained rental.
If Murphy walks, the Oilers don't just need a replacement. They need a restructured blue line, and Kesselring alone doesn't solve that.
Kesselring's $1.4 million cap hit and restricted free agent status make him the budget piece that frees room for a bigger acquisition.
That's the real function he serves in this plan.
Buffalo's surplus creates the opening
The Sabres finished with 109 points and have Rasmus Dahlin, Bowen Byram, Mattias Samuelsson, and Owen Power all ahead of Kesselring on their depth chart.
He played just 34 games this season and sat as a healthy scratch throughout the playoffs.
GM Jarmo Kekalainen has no reason to keep a seventh defenseman who reportedly isn't happy sitting.
The acquisition cost should be minimal, which is exactly why Edmonton is circling back on a player it once drafted 164th overall.
The question isn't whether the Oilers can get Kesselring. It's whether landing him is Step 1 in a chain that ends with a top-four overhaul Stan Bowman hasn't publicly revealed yet.
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