Olen Zellweger fell out of favor with the Anaheim Ducks last season, which led him to become a healthy scratch for a majority of the team's run to the second round of the 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Zellweger found a new home over the offseason with the Buffalo Sabres, who acquired him in a trade for prospect Anton Wahlberg and the No. 45 overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft. He'll face off with the Ducks, who selected him in the second round of the 2021 draft, for the first time Thursday night.
"I'm looking forward to that," Zellweger told reporters after Tuesday's 2-0 win over the San Jose Sharks. "Just another game, but definitely gonna be cool to go back there and play."
The mobile 5-foot-9 defenseman failed to record a point in his first four appearances for the Sabres, but he's started to pick up some seriously steam lately. He's posted five points (three goals and two assists) over the past seven games, including the game-winning tally against San Jose.
What a rip from Zelly. 🔥#LetsGoBuffalo pic.twitter.com/tTRPtaIvGz
— Buffalo Sabres (@BuffaloSabres) October 28, 2026
Zellweger has seemingly found a comfort zone alongside Owen Power on Buffalo's second pair. He's been highly effective in transition and is emerging as a reliable weapon in the offensive zone, and the defensive deficiencies haven't been as prominent as they were in Anaheim.
The Canadian blueliner received high praise from Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff after his standout performance against the Sharks.
"I just thought he used his legs unbelievable in the game, and I thought he just literally outskated — they're a good skating team; he outskated quite a few of their guys," Ruff said. "I think his game is in a good place. I think he feels comfortable, and his defending is good, so it was great to see him play that way."
Although Zellweger didn't place too much emphasis on the "revenge game" factor ahead of Thursday's meeting with the Ducks, those situations always tend to carry a little extra weight for athletes when they were essentially cast aside, as was the case for the Calgary native.
It's hard to imagine there won't be a little added motivation as he looks to keep his hot streak alive.
Former Sabres prospect Anton Wahlberg off to a strong start in the Ducks farm system
Buffalo selected Anton Wahlberg in the second round of the 2023 draft. He showed promising tendencies as a defensive-minded center, but his offensive game was sluggish to evolve, which made him expendable given the Sabres' deep organizational depth chart.
Wahlberg, who recorded just 71 points (21 goals and 50 assists) in 140 games across three seasons with the AHL's Rochester Americans, is trending in a better direction early in his Anaheim tenure.
He's compiled 10 points (one goal and nine helpers) in his first nine outings with the San Diego Gulls, the Ducks' AHL affiliate. He also owns a plus-five rating.
The 21-year-old forward probably won't ever develop into a high-end NHL goal scorer, but his combination of size (6'4'', 205 pounds) and two-way potential still give him ample upside, especially if his playmaking continues to make positive strides.
Anaheim chose defensive prospect Jayden Kurtz with the No. 45 pick in the draft, so it's going to take awhile to have a firm grasp on how the trade turns out for the Ducks.
The Sabres should be quite pleased with the early returns from Zellweger and they previously locked him into a team-friendly three-year, $9.3 million contract extension ($3.1 million AAV) that's already aging well.
So, even if the prospects end up working out for the Ducks, it'd probably trend closer to a win-win trade rather a comprehensive victory for either side.
Buffalo and Anaheim are set for a 10 p.m. ET faceoff Thursday night at the Honda Center.
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