Sabres Acquire Zellweger From Ducks for Wahlberg and Draft Pick

The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Aton Wahlberg and the 45th-overall pick in the 2026 NHL Entry Draft.

Anaheim trades Olen Zellweger to Buffalo in exchange for Anton Wahlberg and pick No. 45

— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 26, 2026

The Sabres have been busy this week as this is their third trade involving a draft pick. They initially traded Michael Kesselring to the San Jose Sharks for the 20th-overall pick, they traded Bowen Byram and more for the fourth-overall pick and more, and now they use their second-round pick to get a young lefthanded defenseman.

Sabres Add Youth and Value To Blue Line With Zellweger

Zellweger is a 22 year-old defenseman who was drafted by the Ducks in 2021. He’s gotten his fair share of NHL ice time as the last two seasons he has played full seasons with the Ducks, playing 62 games in 2024-25 and 76 games this season.

Even though the Sabres traded away defenseman Byram a few days ago, they were looking to fill his void and they could have done so here with Zellweger, who is a great puck mover, is a lot cheaper, and can develop behind the likes of Rasmus Dahlin, Owen Power, and Mattias Samuelsson.

Zellweger recorded 22 points this season and 20 the previous season in a limited role with the Ducks. The Ducks have felt that they have “better” defenseman in front of him with Pavel Mintyukov, Jackson LaCombe, Drew Helleson, and Ian Moore, who recently re-signed with the team.

On the Sabres, he has a chance to develop into a nice two-way defenseman as according to Evolving Hockey, he sits in the 77th percentile in offense and 40th percentile in defense. He will improve as he gets top-four minutes in Buffalo.

Ducks Clear Up Defensive Log Jam

As mentioned above, the Ducks have a plethora of good, young defenseman and Zellweger was clearly the odd man out. Instead of letting Zellweger potentially sit in the press box, they have snagged a draft pick plus a solid defensive prospect in Wahlberg in return.

For Anaheim, this type of move is simply about roster clarity. They’ve stockpiled so many young defensemen that someone was eventually going to get squeezed out, and Zellweger was the one they were willing to move. By flipping him now, the Ducks avoid stalling his development and instead have turned him into both a draft asset and a promising prospect. It’s a clean way to redistribute value without disrupting the growth of Mintyukov, LaCombe, Helleson, or any of the other young blueliners they’ve prioritized.

In the end, this kind of deal reflects where both franchises are headed: the Ducks are leaning into their rebuild and the Sabres are continuing to fortify a defensive built around skill and mobility. It’s not a blockbuster, but it’s the type of smart, calculated move that helps teams quietly take the next step toward sustained success.