Buffalo Sabres general manager Jarmo Kekalainen opened the offseason with hope of signing defenseman Bowen Byram to a long-term contract extension. Once it became clear that wasn't possible, he changed course in a highly effective way.
Kekalainen sent Byram and forward Jordan Greenway to the Chicago Blackhawks for two top-50 picks in the 2026 NHL Draft (Nos. 4 and 45) and blueliner Louis Crevier. He then flipped the No. 45 selection, along with prospect Anton Wahlberg, to the Anaheim Ducks for offensively gifted defenseman Olen Zellweger.
Justin Arenburg of Sportsnet named the latter acquisition as one of the league's "10 most impactful" moves this summer.
"The Sabres decided to grab a more cost-effective defenseman in Zellweger, who projects to have a similar profile to Byram, at least offensively," Arenburg wrote Tuesday. "Even though Zellweger might not have the same impact as Byram, this move also allowed the Sabres to sign Zach Benson to a seven-year deal with a $7.5 million AAV, effectively locking in Buffalo's core moving forward."
Keeping Byram and winger Alex Tuch would have cost Buffalo $23 million per season based on the contracts they signed with the Hawks and Washington Capitals, respectively. The combined salaries of Benson, Zellweger and Crevier is $11.5 million, exactly half that total.
Creating that extra salary-cap flexibility was important for the Sabres, who entered the summer facing a minor cap crunch. They now have $5.1 million still available for 2026-27, and their cap space will explode to $36.7 million next offseason, according to PuckPedia.
That's going to give Kekalainen the ability to go big-name hunting either in free agency or on the trade market as Buffalo tries to land a true No. 1 center and/or a new starting goalie.
Sabres are betting on Olen Zellweger reaching his full potential in Buffalo
Zellweger, a 2021 second-round pick, flashed some tantalizing upside across three seasons with the Ducks, mostly in terms of being a puck-carrier.
Last season, the undersized 5-foot-10 defenseman ranked in the 98th percentile of carry exits and the 84th percentile of generating rush offense at the position, per HockeyStats.com. He also finished in the 92nd percentile of shot contributions among blueliners.
Those strong underlying numbers haven't translated into standout baseline statistics quite yet — he posted a modest 22 points (seven goals and 15 assists) in 76 games for Anaheim in 2025-26 — but they help illustrate his untapped potential following the trade.
Whether Zellweger, who will turn 23 in September, can become a trusted top-four option for the Sabres depends heavily on defensive improvement, though.
His lack of size or a physical edge (84 hits in 164 career games) is concerning, especially since he ended up being a healthy scratch for the Ducks at times because of issues protecting his own net.
It's unlikely Zellweger will ever become a two-way stud and Norris Trophy candidate like new Buffalo teammate Rasmus Dahlin, but modest improvements in his own end combined with an offensive breakout could make him a terrific second-pair partner for Owen Power, at least in the short term.
Looking ahead, the Sabres used the No. 4 choice in this year's draft on fellow defender Daxon Rudolph, who will likely emerge as Power's long-term duo, perhaps as early as 2027-28.
Even if that's the case, Zellweger could provide serious value as a puck-moving third-pair defenseman and occasional power-play contributor.
Buffalo's blue line could look something like this within the next few years:
Left Defense | Right Defense |
|---|---|
Mattias Samuelsson | Rasmus Dahlin |
Owen Power | Daxon Rudolph |
Olen Zellweger | Radim Mrtka / Louis Crevier |
That's a lot of talent, and could very well put the Blue and Gold in the conversation for the NHL's best defense group if the young players develop as expected.
Zellweger's growth is an important part of that puzzle. If he doesn't take the step forward the Sabres front office is hoping for, Kekalainen may find himself in the trade market for a stop-gap option on the second pair until Rudolph is ready for the big leagues.
On a more optimistic note, the Calgary native's aggressive style of play combined with Buffalo's preferred up-tempo brand of hockey could be a match made in heaven.
He clearly still has a lot of believers as he moves from Southern California to Western New York.
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