The Buffalo Sabres and the Anaheim Ducks have agreed to the Ollen Zellweger trade. The trade sends a 22-year-old defenceman coming off of a 22 point season to Buffalo. Anaheim gets forward prospect Anton Walberg and the 45th overall pick in this years draft in return. The Top four defensive group is now likely set in Buffalo, with Olen Zellweger now officially a Sabre.
Anaheim trades Olen Zellweger to Buffalo in exchange for Anton Wahlberg and pick No. 45
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 26, 2026
What the Olen Zellweger Trade Means for Buffalo
Zellweger needs a contract. And will likely get one very soon from Buffalo following this trade. Buffalo needed someone to fill in for Bowen Byram, who they just traded to the Blackhawks. Zellweger fills that void as a capable but cheaper option. Byram wanted to be a number one defenceman, and he has that opportunity in Chicago. Buffalo now has their defensive core set with Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, Mattias Samuelsson and now Zellweger.
This is a solid trade for Buffalo. They get a young, capable defenceman to add in with their youthful defensive group, and they didn’t have to give up too much to get him. They send the 45th overall pick, which they just picked up from Chicago in the Byram trade, and Walberg. Walberg’s a prospect that was deep in the pipeline, unlikely to see playing time in Buffalo anytime soon.
(Credit Image: © Grzegorz Wajda/SOPA Images via ZUMA Press Wire)
What the Olen Zellweger Trade Means for Anaheim
This seems a bit perplexing from Anaheim’s point of view. Zellweger was never going to get the chance to be a number one defenceman. He was playing behind Jackson LaCombe, taking that opportunity away in Anaheim. And now in Buffalo he won’t get that opportunity either. Zellweger was a plus player in Anaheim for the past two seasons. On a team that wasn’t very strong defensively, you’d think keeping young defencemen around would be a good thing.
To go with it, Anaheim only has three defencemen signed at the moment. LaCombe, Drew Helleson and Tristan Luneau. John Carlsson, Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba all remain unsigned. Unless the ducks feel strongly they can keep those three pending unrestricted free agents around it’s a bit unclear how they’re going to fill their blue line.
Olen Zellweger, acquired by BUF, is a smooth-skating offensive defenceman who jumps up in the play and carries the puck in transition. Has always had defensive issues (some stemming from his 5’10 size) but has unlocked new areas of his game with the puck in the past year. pic.twitter.com/DqvasyHIoG
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) June 26, 2026
Overall this deal seems to answer questions for Buffalo, but raises more in Anaheim. There will likely be a contract extension for Zellweger sometime soon. Jarmo Kekalainen, the General Manager in Buffalo, will likely be busy planning out the last of his moves ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft in Buffalo. The Sabres currently hold the fourth overall pick in the draft.
Main photo by: Russell LaBounty-Imagn Images
