Sabres acquire defenseman Zellweger from Ducks

The Buffalo Sabres have acquired defenseman Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for forward Anton Wahlberg and a second-round pick in the 2026 NHL Draft (45th overall, originally belonging to the New York Islanders).

Zellweger, 22, played a career-high 76 games with Anaheim last season and had 22 points (7+15). He was a second-round draft pick by the Ducks in 2021 and already has three NHL seasons under his belt, including his first taste of playoff action this past spring.

Some facts on the left-shot defenseman, who becomes a restricted free agent this July 1:

• Zellweger ranks as one of the NHL’s fastest defensemen, according to NHL Edge. He clocked 162 speed bursts between 20 and 22 mph, which ranked fifth in the league behind four of the NHL’s elite: Matthew Schaefer, Cale Makar, Jake Sanderson and Quinn Hughes. He also had the sixth-most speed bursts over 22 mph.
• The Ducks owned a 53.3-percent share of shot attempts when Zellweger was on the ice at 5-on-5, tied for the best mark among the team’s regular defensemen.
• Zellweger displayed a knack for carrying the puck and getting it to his scorers. He averaged 14.92 puck carries leading to shots per 60 minutes, the 18th-best mark among NHL defensemen (according to Stathletes).

Wahlberg, 20, was a second-round draft pick by the Sabres in 2023. He had 37 points (9+28) in 68 games with Rochester last season.