Sabres-Ducks swap brings questions for both teams

Buffalo made the big move it felt it needed ahead of the 2026 NHL Draft, acquiring Olen Zellweger from the Anaheim Ducks after dealing Bowen Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth-overall pick. The price came with uncertainty for the Sabres—and a defen

Buffalo didn’t wait around after moving Bowen Byram. With the 2026 NHL Draft fast approaching, the Sabres pushed a deal that sent Byram to the Chicago Blackhawks for the fourth-overall pick—and then, just as quickly, they went looking for the defensive piece they believed they needed.

That replacement arrived in the form of Olen Zellweger, acquired from the Anaheim Ducks ahead of the first round. The numbers and the names tell most of the story; what matters now is what each team is really betting on.

Here’s how the trade shakes out, with the biggest question hanging over both sides: did Buffalo buy the right defenseman to match its version of a contender, and did Anaheim pay too much to keep its momentum moving?

The trade itself was straightforward on paper. The Sabres sent young center Anton Wahlberg and the 45th overall pick to Anaheim for Zellweger. Wahlberg was a second-round pick in 2023 and has yet to make his NHL debut. The 45th pick headed from Chicago to Buffalo as part of the Byram deal. but the Ducks were the team that used it—taking University of Wisconsin commit Jayden Kurtz in that spot.

For Anaheim, the bigger backdrop is what Zellweger left behind. The Ducks broke a seven-year playoff drought this year, beating the Edmonton Oilers in the first round. But in the months since, their moves have pulled them in the other direction, and this one comes with a cost.

Zellweger is joining John Carlson and Mason McTavish as regulars who have “flown the nest.” Troy Terry is also injured and could be out for months. Anaheim’s trade returns look solid in value terms, especially coming off a season that ended the long playoff wait. Still, once you put the pieces together, the roster math feels heavier than the grade suggests.

Zellweger played 76 regular-season games for the Ducks last year, but only three in the postseason. That postseason dip—combined with the fact that his playing time wasn’t there when it mattered most—feeds the idea that Joel Quenneville’s impact on the roster has shaped how the Ducks evaluate their options. Quenneville pushed Anaheim to the postseason in his first year behind the bench. and now his influence appears to be carrying into personnel decisions.

Anaheim’s side of the deal earns a B+. The Ducks got some nice pieces back in return. and on a purely transactional level. it reads as a good value swap. But the team’s free agency calendar doesn’t soften the concern. With Radko Gudas and Jacob Trouba hitting free agency. the Ducks’ NHL defense depth chart is described as bleak. and the expectation has to be that this is only the first move on the blue line. Otherwise, the club’s promising window could start to wobble faster than anyone wants.

Buffalo’s decision is carrying a different kind of pressure. The Sabres won the Atlantic Division to break a 15-year postseason drought last season. They lost in the second round to the Montreal Canadiens, but the organization still believes it has a Stanley Cup window opening.

The Byram move fits that ambition. Buffalo got a great offer for Byram that it could not pass up. and it drafted Daxon Rudolph fourth overall as a future piece. But the Zellweger acquisition is meant to be about the near term. This trade isn’t presented as a long-range gamble; it’s aimed at replacing Byram’s role right away.

That’s where the fit question sharpens. By making this trade, Buffalo is effectively signaling that it doesn’t know why Byram didn’t work in Buffalo. The Sabres already have a strong identity on offense-first defenseman with finesse: Rasmus Dahlin was a Norris Trophy finalist last year. and Owen Power runs the second powerplay.

So the issue becomes simple: without the offensive upside of playing a man up, what is Zellweger supposed to add? The deal answers the “who” question, but it doesn’t automatically settle the “how” question.

The piece also points to an alternative that would have made more sense for Buffalo’s needs. at least on profile. A defenseman like Adam Pelech from the New York Islanders is described as a better fit for the Sabres. It’s also acknowledged that the Islanders might not have had interest in selling Pelech at this time. which affects how fair that comparison can be. Still, it doesn’t change the central argument: a more physical, imposing defenseman would have made more sense.

Zellweger’s contract situation is another key element. If he is able to keep his salary low, the acquisition is framed as a decent one that could pay off this season. But if the production doesn’t show up, the trade’s value becomes easier to question.

On Buffalo’s grade, it lands at B. The reasoning is that the deal doesn’t actually improve the team going forward. It’s a move built to solve a specific defensive need—but the expectation is still conditional. If Zellweger scores points, then it will be seen as worth it. If not, Buffalo may find that filling the slot isn’t the same thing as fixing what was missing.

Put together. the Sabres’ rush to replace Byram and the Ducks’ willingness to move on from Zellweger now sits in stark contrast with both teams’ realities: Buffalo is trying to keep its postseason climb pointed upward. while Anaheim is trying to survive a roster churn it didn’t need to be dealing with right now. The trade grades may look neat on paper. What happens next won’t be neat at all—because both teams will feel the consequences in their lineups. not their spreadsheets.

NHL 2026 NHL Draft Buffalo Sabres Anaheim Ducks Olen Zellweger Bowen Byram Chicago Blackhawks Anton Wahlberg Jayden Kurtz Daxon Rudolph Radko Gudas Jacob Trouba Joel Quenneville