Sabres Weekly: Alex Tuch Traded, Acquired Olen Zellweger & More

Here are the Buffalo Sabres’ news, rumors, and reports for the week of June 29 – July 5, 2026.

2026 NHL Entry Draft

To no surprise, Gavin McKenna went first overall to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Friday, and Ivar Stenberg went second overall to the San Jose Sharks. The Sabres held on to the fourth overall pick, which they used to select right-handed defenseman Daxon Rudolph of the Western Hockey League’s Prince Albert Raiders.

He recorded 78 points (28 goals, 50 assists) in 68 games last season and is expected to play one year at the University of Denver before trying to make the transition to the NHL in 2027-28.

Here is the list of the Sabres’ draft picks coming out of the weekend:

Round one, pick four: Daxon Rudolph (defenseman)- Prince Albert Raiders (WHL)

Round one, pick 20: Ilia Morozov (forward)- Miami University (NCAA)

Round four, pick 120: Olivers Murnieks- Saint John (QMJHL)

Round five, pick 156: Doman Szongoth (forward)- Kookoo (Finland U20)

Round six, pick 188: Dylan Dumont (forward)- Drummondville (QMJHL)

Sabres Trade Alex Tuch’s Rights to Washington Capitals

The Sabres and Alex Tuch have been working tirelessly on a contract extension. However, the two sides could not come together, so the Sabres traded his rights to the Washington Capitals on Friday for a 2027 third-round draft pick and David Kampf’s contract rights. The Capitals immediately signed Tuch to an eight-year contract worth $10.5 million per season.

Tuch recorded 66 points (33 goals, 33 assists) in 79 games this season and seven points (four goals, three assists) in 13 playoff games.

Sabres Acquire Olen Zellweger From Anaheim Ducks

After trading Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth-overall pick last week, there was a feeling that the Sabres were not done making moves. That was correct. They traded for young defenseman Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks for the 45th-overall pick and defense prospect Anton Wahlberg.

Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Zellweger will have a chance to compete for a spot on the second pair with Owen Power. This season, even with a diminished role in Anaheim, he recorded a career-high 22 points in 72 games. He’ll have a chance to make a big impact on a loaded Sabres blue line next season.