Buffalo, N.Y. (WGR) - In the months since being acquired from the Anaheim Ducks, Sabres defenseman Olen Zellweger has been getting acclimated to his new setting in Buffalo.
The Sabres acquired the 23-year-old just before Day 1 of the 2026 NHL Draft kicked off, with Buffalo sending prospect Anton Wahlberg and a second-round pick acquired in the Bowen Byram trade to the Chicago Blackhawks.
Zellweger has spent the last couple of weeks getting familiar with the organization, his teammates and the systems the team wants to play. It was coming to Buffalo early, though, that helped him get comfortable.
“It’s been good. It’ll be preseason coming up here, which is super exciting,” said Zellweger following Saturday's "Return of the Blue and Gold" scrimmage at KeyBank Center.
Zellweger has spent time early in training camp, including the "Return of the Blue and Gold" scrimmage, playing alongside Owen Power on the back end. He says he likes what Power to the table, and believes the two can complement each other well.
“I think we’re both pretty good with the puck, pretty smart. He’s a great skater, great in all three zones. So he makes it easy," Zellweger said.
The right-shot defenseman has watched the Sabres before arriving in Buffalo, but says it will take some time before he can really compare the team’s style to what he was used to previously in Anaheim.
So far, though, Zellweger has liked what he has seen from his new teammates during practices and scrimmages.
“It’s been a lot of skill, a lot of smart hockey, a lot of great players on this team. So it seems pretty good so far," he said.
Zellweger has also gotten a chance to experience some of what Buffalo has to offer away from the rink. He attended the Buffalo Bills game this past Thursday, and enjoyed getting to experience the atmosphere at Highmark Stadium.
“Stadium’s pretty wild, pretty high end. It was pretty cool," Zellweger noted. "We had quite the seats there, so that was a really nice treat for sure.”
The Sabres will open their preseason schedule on Monday when they face the Penguins in Pittsburgh. Faceoff is slated for 7 p.m. from PPG Paints Arena, with Dan Dunleavy and Rob Ray on the call on WGR.
