Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR Sports Radio 550) - The Buffalo Sabres have acquired the left-handed defenseman they're looking for in Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks. In exchange, the Sabres sent winger Anton Wahlberg to Anaheim, as well as the 45th overall pick acquired this week from the Chicago Blackhawks in the Bo Byram deal.
The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Anton Wahlberg and a second-round pick (45th overall) in the 2026 NHL Draft. pic.twitter.com/0TJdhSXVWY
— Buffalo Sabres PR (@SabresPR) June 26, 2026
Zellweger is a puck-moving defenseman, scoring 16 goals and 35 assists for 51 points in 164 NHL games. However, head coach Lindy Ruff has some work to do when it comes to his own end.
The 22-year-old will be 23 by the time the regular season starts. He is also a restricted free agent, needing a new contract before the start of the season.
Zellweger was taken in the second round (34th overall) in the 2021 NHL Draft.
Wahlberg was part of the Rasmus Ristolainen trade with the Philadelphia Flyers, and also was taken in the second-round (39th overall) in the 2023 NHL Draft. He was called up to the Sabres last season, but never got into a game.
The 20-year-old is a big power forward that can protect pucks, but has trouble producing offense. In two seasons with the Rochester Americans, the winger had 21 goals and 51 assists for 72 points in 140 games. He also played in 14 playoff games.
I think this is a good swing for Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen. Zellweger has decent upside, and as we've seen with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power and Mattias Samuelsson, it can take three or four years for defensemen to start hitting their potential in the NHL.
As of right now, the Sabres' defense looks like this:
Dahlin - Samuelsson
Power - Crevier
Zellweger - Timmins
Buffalo gives up 2023 second-round winger Anton Wahlberg and a pick
Buffalo gives up 2023 second-round winger Anton Wahlberg and a pick
