Michael Kesselring continues to define expectations as has been a pleasant surprise for the Coyotes to start the season.
One of the bigger surprises of the 2023-24 season for the Arizona Coyotes has been the emergence of Michael Kesselring.
Prior to the start of this season, Kesselring only played a total of nine NHL games but has now found a steady role with the Coyotes.
The 23-year-old was called up earlier this season by the Coyotes due to a multitude of injuries and has fully taken advantage of his opportunity.
In 15 games this year, Kesselring has two goal, five assists and 14 points while playing 13:44 minutes per game. Over time, the young defenseman has seemed to only improve as he continues to get adapted to NHL play.
“Obviously, I'm a lot more comfortable now and getting used to the speed of the game and yeah, I think it's just a confidence thing,” Kesselring said. “You’ve seen the Crosby’s and some of the top players in the league now and you start to adjust and gain confidence from each game. So I think that's happening right now.”
A big reason for Kesselring’s new-found confidence is the fact he got to play with Matt Dumba right away, a veteran who has been through a lot over the course of his 11-year career.
“I was playing with Dumba right away, so he was really good to me about just little things like adjusting, moving on from mistakes, stuff like that,” Kesselring said. But honestly, the whole D core has been big for me. They've been really nice with me, working through things and just picking me up when I make mistakes and keep instilling confidence in me.”
Not only is Kesselring defensively minded, using his big frame to help him out, he is beginning to establish an offensive game as well which is exactly what coach André Tourigny is looking for.
“I think Bear said it a few weeks ago in the media,” Kesselring said. “He hit it pretty spot on the head and it gave me a lot of confidence because in the past, I've been told just to be a big defensive defenseman, and he wants me to make plays and I think I'm doing that right now, so good and just gonna keep building off that”
Kesselring showed off his offensive talents at the end of Tuesday night's game against the Ottawa Senators, scoring the game winning goal which capped off a miraculous comeback win for the Coyotes.
In the locker room, Kesselring has a calm yet fun demeanor. He always seems to be happy and brings a really positive presence.
Kesselring continues to be a feel-good story for the Coyotes as he continues to prove his worth in the NHL.