When the Stanley Cup Playoffs began in April, Buffalo Sabres newcomer Olen Zellweger found himself watching in the press box as a healthy scratch after enjoying regular duty all season.
Naturally, Zellweger, a defenseman the Sabres acquired in a trade last Friday with the Anaheim Ducks after dealing Bowen Byram, initially felt frustrated. But he said getting benched taught him some lessons.
He started getting back to basics. From his seat high above the ice, he said he “really took it upon myself to watch the game closely.”
“I really paid attention to the details of the game, how much time everyone was having with the puck in certain situations, little details,” he said on a Zoom call Thursday.
When Zellweger, 22, returned to play the final three contests of the first-round series, he said “the game kind of just slowed down again for me.”
“I had time with the puck,” said Zellweger, who registered one goal and two points before the Vegas Golden Knights eliminated Anaheim. “I had more ability to use my speed and deception and agility and stuff like that.”
No one, of course, wants to sit out. Still, watching three games helped him mature.
“It obviously wasn’t the best situation, but I think in the long run it definitely helped me learn a lot about my game,” he said.
The 5-foot-10, 193-pound Zellweger plays a fast game that should help him fit in on one of the NHL’s slickest blue lines. He had 162 speed bursts between 20 to 22 mph last season, according to NHL Edge, the league’s fifth-highest total among defensemen.
“I think I provide two-way play,” he said. “I think I have a lot of speed, a lot of offensive instinct. I’m really looking forward to playing with a lot of the high-skill, high-speed players that the lineup has right now.”
The Sabres moved quickly to find a replacement for Byram. Three days after trading him, the Sabres sent the 45th overall pick and forward prospect Anton Wahlberg to the Ducks in exchange for Zellweger.
Following the deal, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said Zellweger possesses “a lot of the same qualities” of Byram. While he hasn’t reached Byram’s elite level, the Sabres see potential in Zellweger.
“I have a similar skill set to Bowen,” said Zellweger, who has registered 16 goals and 51 points in 164 career NHL games.
Zellweger could have an opportunity to take Byram’s spot alongside defenseman Owen Power, a budding star he knows from their time as teammates with Team Canada at the World Junior Championship and World Championship.
Given his talents, Zellweger, who on Wednesday signed a three-year, $9.3 million contract as a restricted free agent, might mesh well alongside other defensemen.
“They’re all really good skaters,” he said of the corps. “They all have a great kind of head for the game. Lots of really good puck decisions. They kind of quarterback the whole system.”
Zellweger learned that firsthand facing the Sabres twice last season.
“Definitely just a really skilled team,” he said. “A team that I thought was really connected. Had patience but also really the ability to just make you pay. So I thought overall they were just a great team this year. Obviously, the standings (first place) show that.
“And, yeah, they’re a hard team to play against. There’s threats all throughout the lineup. A lot of diversity throughout the lineup like checking, scoring, playmaking.”