The Sabres knew they were going to have to replace Bowen Byram.
What they probably did not know was how quickly they might find his replacement.
Olen Zellweger has only just arrived in Buffalo, but the 22-year-old defenseman is already giving the Sabres something they desperately needed after moving Byram to Chicago.
He is skating alongside Owen Power.
And that might be more important than it initially appears.
Zellweger has occupied the spot vacated by Byram during the early stages of training camp, giving Buffalo a very intriguing look on the second defense pair. The similarities are obvious. Both are left-shot defensemen who can skate, move the puck and create offense from the back end.
The Sabres specifically targeted Zellweger because of those qualities.
General manager Jarmo Kekäläinen said Buffalo sees a lot of Byram’s characteristics in Zellweger, particularly his skating, puck movement and ability to move up the ice.
That does not mean Zellweger is simply being asked to impersonate Byram.
It could mean the Sabres have found a different player who allows them to keep doing many of the same things.
Buffalo Could Have Found the Right Partner for Owen Power
Power had arguably his best all-around season in 2025-26, and playing alongside Byram was a significant part of that.
Now Buffalo is putting another offensive-minded defenseman beside him.
That is not an accident.
Zellweger and Power already have some familiarity from international hockey, and Zellweger believes the two complement each other because both are comfortable with the puck. He specifically praised Power’s skating and ability to play in all three zones.
There is an interesting stylistic fit here.
Power is 6-foot-6 and brings considerably more size, while Zellweger is listed at just 5-foot-10. But Zellweger is an explosive skater who can carry the puck through pressure and join the rush.
That could allow Power to play a slightly different game.
Last season, Zellweger recorded 22 points in 76 games with Anaheim while establishing himself as one of the NHL’s fastest defensemen. He ranked fifth in the league in speed bursts between 20 and 22 mph, according to NHL Edge. He also ranked 18th among NHL defensemen in puck carries leading to shots per 60 minutes.
Those are precisely the kinds of skills Buffalo was losing with Byram.
And there was already evidence of the fit during the Sabres’ Blue and Gold Scrimmage. Zellweger and Power both joined the rush and looked comfortable moving the puck, although coach Lindy Ruff noted that they occasionally tried to make one pass too many.
That sounds like a problem a coaching staff would rather have than the alternative.
The Sabres don’t necessarily need Zellweger to become Byram.
They need him to make Power better.
If that happens, Buffalo may have found something far more valuable than a replacement.
Zellweger Injury Could Be Brutal Timing for the Sabres
And now Buffalo has to hope it hasn’t lost that solution before it ever got the chance to see what it could become.
Zellweger left Tuesday’s preseason game against Columbus after taking a hard hit from Carson Soucy late in the second period. He had to be helped from the ice and was placed into concussion protocol, with Ruff saying he would be evaluated further Wednesday.
That is obviously concerning for the player first.
But from the Sabres’ perspective, the timing could hardly be worse.
This was supposed to be the period when Buffalo figured out whether Zellweger could actually take over the role Byram left behind.
Instead, the organization may have to wait.
And Buffalo does not have an unlimited amount of time. The Sabres have just four preseason games, with the regular season beginning October 1. Zellweger’s injury already cost him valuable evaluation time in the preseason game against Columbus, and any additional absence would reduce the opportunities for him to establish himself alongside Power.
That is what makes this more than an unfortunate preseason injury.
The Sabres didn’t acquire Zellweger simply to add another young defenseman.
They traded for him after moving Byram and immediately started exploring whether his particular skill set could work beside Power. Buffalo’s own preseason assessment of the blue line identified Zellweger as one of the new pieces expected to compete for a significant role.
Now that experiment has been interrupted.
There May Be Hope After All
The good news is that Zellweger is currently listed as day-to-day and the immediate information does not establish how much time, if any, he will miss beyond concussion protocol.
The Sabres will evidently want him back as soon as he is ready.
They should.
Because if Zellweger is unavailable for an extended period, Buffalo would suddenly have to find another answer beside Power just as it appeared to be finding one.
That could mean turning to Zach Metsa, Dennis Gilbert or another option already in the organization. It could also mean asking Power to adjust to another partner after spending camp building chemistry with Zellweger.
And perhaps the most interesting part is who is standing next to him.
Buffalo may have lost Byram, but it has already found a player with many of the same qualities to play alongside Power.
If Zellweger takes another step offensively while becoming more reliable defensively, the Sabres could discover that replacing Byram was never really about finding another Byram.
It was about finding the right player for Owen Power.
They may already have done that.
Sabres Already Have an Interesting Bowen Byram Replacement