The Buffalo Sabres face the Columbus Blue Jackets during Tuesday's Frozen Frenzy, which features all 32 NHL teams. After a dreadful first three games of the season, Buffalo has won four of its last six to jump back into contention. Their team did not change much in the offseason, but one key piece is debuting on Tuesday. The Sabres are adding Michael Kesselring to the lineup after he missed the first nine games with a lower-body injury.
“Sabres coach Lindy Ruff on Michael Kesselring for tonight: ‘Good to go,'” Rachel Lenzi of NHL.com reported.
Kesselring was a key piece of the trade return from the Utah Mammoth for forward JJ Peterka. He is a big right-handed defenseman who can help build the Sabres' blue line for years to come. In three seasons, he has played 156 games and scored 53 points, so his defensive zone prowess is the reason to be excited.
The Sabres have dealt with plenty of injuries to start the year, including in goal. Ukko-Pekka Lukkonen started the year on the shelf, which thrust Alex Lyon into action. Kesslering's injury did not help Lyon, but the journeyman was solid in his performances.
The Sabres are sporting the longest active playoff drought in the NHL, having missed the dance in 14 consecutive seasons. Their poor start is behind them, but they have to maintain this pace throughout the season to break the drought. Building a strong defense has been a hallmark of this rebuild, but it has not come to fruition yet.
The Sabres drafted both Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power first overall to man the blue line. Bringing in Bowen Byram and now Kesselring improves the depth, which is important for any team in the biggest games of the season. The Sabres host the Blue Jackets on Tuesday night, looking to keep their winning ways going.
