MONTREAL - The Buffalo Sabres have found another moving part on defense, and Olen Zellweger is already fitting the mold they had in mind when they brought him in from Anaheim in June.
The 22-year-old arrived with the kind of profile that jumps off the page: elite speed, strong puck-carrying numbers and the ability to push play up ice. Jarmo Kekäläinen said then that Buffalo saw a lot of Bowen Byram-like traits in him.
“This is a young player that has a lot of the same qualities (as Byram),” Kekäläinen said at the time of the deal. “Really good skater, speed, puck play, the ability to move up the ice whether to pass or carry the puck out of the zone.
We see a lot of potential in him.”
So far, that’s played out. Zellweger missed most of training camp after a concussion, then sat out the opener in Columbus before making his season debut against Chicago. Since then, he’s been exactly the kind of defenseman Buffalo hoped for - jumping into the rush, working low in the offensive zone and finding ways to keep the attack moving.
Even with one game missed, Zellweger is second among Sabres defensemen with eight even-strength scoring chances, a total that also ties him for 13th among NHL defensemen, according to Stathletes. That production showed up in a big way in Montreal, where he scored twice and helped fuel Buffalo’s comeback before the Sabres fell in a shootout.
“(He’s) moving really well, getting to pucks, making a lot of good plays,” Sabres coach Lindy Ruff said after that game. “Really what we envisioned that we thought he could be.”
His arrival has helped keep Buffalo’s blue line humming even with captain Rasmus Dahlin out for the last two games because of an upper-body injury. The Sabres are tied for the NHL lead among defensemen in both goals, with nine alongside Edmonton, and points, with 26 alongside Colorado.
Owen Power is driving that charge, leading all NHL defensemen in even-strength scoring chances while also topping Buffalo’s blue line with eight points. Mattias Samuelsson has chipped in, too, with the same finishing touch he showed last season, including the game-tying goal he put into the corner of the net in Toronto on Thursday.
Zellweger said he’s still getting used to the finer details of Buffalo’s system, but he’s leaning on the basics that have always been part of his game.
“At the end of the day, it’s hockey,” he said. “You’ve got to go out there and make reads, play competitively. That’s where it’s similar.”
The Sabres were back on the ice for an optional practice Friday at Bell Centre as they prepared for Saturday’s road trip finale in Montreal. Josh Norris was among those on the ice after being evaluated for a concussion following a collision in overtime of Thursday’s win in Toronto.
“He feels good enough to be out there,” Ruff said of Norris. “So, that’s a good sign.”
Ruff also said Dahlin remains on the mend but will not play Saturday. Jiri Kulich is working toward a return and could be available against the Canadiens after leaving Thursday’s morning skate in Toronto not feeling well, then heading back to Buffalo for testing because of his history with blood clots. The tests came back negative.
Coverage of Saturday's game against the Canadiens begins at 6:30 p.m. on MSG with puck drop set for 7.
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