GRIT & GF
Michael Kesselring

San Jose Sharks, Defence

Michael Kesselring

  • Steady
  • Depth
Points, 2026–27
2
0 G, 2 A in 9 GP
Individual xG
0.2
0 goals from it
Ice time per game
19:45
9 shots on goal
xGF% at 5v5
41.8
share of chances while he's on

Michael Kesselring has 0 goals and 2 assists (2 points) in 9 games for the San Jose Sharks in 2026–27, with 9 shots on goal and 19:45 of ice time a game. His Grit & GF rating for 2026–27 is 21.5 out of 100, provisional until he has 15 to 20 games.

9 games in. The methodology requires 15 to 20 games to be accurate, so this season's rating still leans on the league average for his position and will move.

GRIT & GF

21.5050100
Rated above 52% of defencemen
Goals above average
−0.4
Wins
−0.06
Physicality54thGF37thIntimidation64thChemistry23thClutch82th

Where the rating comes from

Weight × score in standard deviations. They sum to −0.47, which the normal curve turns into the rating.

Your weights

Under these weights he ranks above 51.6% of 223 rated players

The default weights are our call. Set your own; they get rescaled to add up to 100%.

Clutch

+0.76 SD · 82th percentile · weight 0%

His team's expected-goal differential with him on the ice in the third period or overtime of a one-goal game, against his own usual rate. Not counted in the rating since grit-0.5: it didn't repeat from season to season, so it was mostly luck.

  • Close-and-late liftxGD per 60Heavily shrunk: close-and-late minutes are scarce.0.0582th pct
  • Close-and-late ice timeminutesThe sample behind the clutch number.3489th pct

Percentiles are against 223 rated defencemen in 2026-27, on 152 minutes of his 5-on-5 time. Hits, blocks and takeaways count toward the rating and are worth zero goals until a study shows otherwise. Model grit-0.5.

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Michael Kesselring's Grit & GF card
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Game notes

Written the morning after from the night's stats, for games where he did something worth a sentence.

  1. vs CBJ

    Tuesday, October 28

    Volume

    Michael Kesselring had 9 shot attempts. Three got through to the goalie, and none went in. The Sabres fell 4-3 to the Blue Jackets in overtime.

Player card

Percentile among 194 defencemen with enough games this season. 50 is the median.

Scoring

  • Ice time per game19:45
    52
  • Points per 600.67
    38
  • Goals per 600.00
    30
  • Individual xG per 600.06
    10
  • Shots per 603.0
    46

5-on-5 play

  • xG for per 60, on ice2.09
    24
  • xG against per 60, on ice2.91
    21
  • xGF%41.8%
    18

Physical

  • Hits per 602.4
    48
  • Blocks per 602.4
    10
  • Penalty minutes per 600.7
    77

Skating and shooting

NHL EDGE puck and player tracking, 2026–27. Percentiles are the league's, against all skaters.

Skating

  • Top speed21.5 mph
    77
  • Bursts over 20 mph6
    69
  • Distance skated25 mi
    70

Shooting

  • Hardest shot85.7 mph
    52
  • Shots on goal9
    64
  • Shooting %0.0%
    41

Zone time

  • Offensive zone time38.2%
    14
  • Offensive zone time, even strength39.4%
    16

Who he plays with

His most-used defence partners at 5-on-5 this season, with what happened while they were out together.

PartnerGamesTOIShot attemptsxGGoalsxG share
Darnell Nurse8114:0388–1113.1–6.02–234%
Dmitry Orlov812:4819–120.7–0.70–152%
Nolan Allan38:4516–80.7–0.21–080%
Sam Dickinson66:475–00.3–0.00–0100%
Luca Cagnoni73:452–30.2–0.11–158%
Jacob Trouba83:144–20.2–0.30–149%

Where he shoots from

His unblocked shots this season, attacking right. 0 goals from 13 attempts.

GoalShot or miss

Last 20 games

Columns are his individual expected goals, the quality of his own chances. Dots are goals he scored.

ixGGoal
0.000.100.200.30
02-2510-19

By season

SeasonGPGAPSOGixGTOI/GPHitsBlkxGF% 5v5
2026–27902290.219:457741.8
2025–2634022462.113:24253851.6
2024–2582722291507.217:42876954.1
2023–246551621764.015:481066049.1

Last 20 games

DateTOIGASOGixGHitsBlkPIM
2026-10-1921:230020.04110
2026-10-1720:230110.01100
2026-10-1518:580110.04010
2026-10-1319:150000.00110
2026-10-1019:030010.04100
2026-10-0816:560020.03102
2026-10-0520:500010.00230
2026-10-0321:150000.00000
2026-10-0119:460010.02010
2026-05-014:250000.00000
2026-04-1515:030000.03100
2026-04-0810:370030.02100
2026-03-1015:090020.04100
2026-03-086:030110.02007
2026-03-0710:280010.04130
2026-03-0512:580020.05100
2026-03-0311:190030.28000
2026-02-288:400000.00004
2026-02-2712:190010.08022
2026-02-2514:430010.03110