Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR 550) - The Buffalo Sabres have acquired the left handed defenseman they're looking for. Buffalo gets Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks for 2023 second-round pick Anton Wahlberg and the 45th overall pick this weekend acquired from the Chicago Blackhawks in the Bo Byram deal.
Zellweger is a puck moving defenseman, but Lindy Ruff has some work to do when it comes to his own end. When the season starts the restricted free agent will be 23-years-old. He's played 164 NHL games scoring 16 goals and 35 assists for 51 points.
Zellweger was taken in the second round of the 2021 Draft with the 34th overall pick. Wahlberg was part of the Rasmus Ristolainen trade with the Philadelphia Flyers and also was taken in the second-round and was 39th overall in 2023. He was called up to the Sabres last season, but never got into a game. He's 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 Jarmo Kekalainen. Zellweger has a 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 pick winger Anton Wahlberg and a pick
Buffalo gives up 2023 second-round pick winger Anton Wahlberg and a pick
