Sabres acquire Zellweger from Ducks for Wahlberg, draft pick

New Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen continues to put his fingerprints on his roster.

The Sabres announced on Friday afternoon that they have acquired defenseman Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Anton Wahlberg and the No. 45 overall pick in the second round of the 2026 NHL Draft on Saturday.

Zellweger is an undersized defenseman with offensive upside and strong skating ability, and as he just completed his entry-level contract, he is a restricted free agent in need of a new contract for next season.

The Calgary, Alberta native appeared in a career-high 76 regular season games with the Ducks this past season, scoring 7 goals and distributing 15 assists for 22 points while skating to a plus-4 rating on an average of 16:59 of time on ice per game.

His per-game production dipped from last season, as did his role under new head coach Joel Quenneville. Zellweger had 20 points in 62 games while skating 18:58 per night in 2024-25.

Now, he gets the opportunity to join a Buffalo team on the rise and to fill the void left by Bowen Byram, who was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks earlier this week for a package centered around the No. 4 overall pick.

Zellweger’s skating and puck-moving abilities make him a logical bet to take a leap with more ice time and favorable deployment, as he would check in behind the top pairing anchored by Rasmus Dahlin.

For Anaheim, Wahlberg is an intriguing prospect just a few years removed from being taken with the No. 39 overall pick in 2023. The 20-year-old center had 37 points in 68 games this season with Buffalo’s AHL affiliate Rochester Americans in his second full season since coming over to North America.

Wahlberg was a member of Team Sweden at the IIHF U20 World Junior Championships in both 2023-24 and 2024-25.