Sabres keep July 1 moves focused on roster fit, trading Devon Levi and signing Olen Zellweger

The Buffalo Sabres opened free agency with a set of moves that matched their recent profile: they did not chase a headline-grabbing overhaul after winning the Atlantic Division and advancing to the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Instead, Buffalo handled several roster fit and cost-certainty questions on July 1, including a goaltending trade and a defensive signing that should shape how the team builds its depth for the next playoff push.

The most significant transaction on the day sent Devon Levi to the Edmonton Oilers. According to reporting, the trade package included a 2028 seventh-round pick heading to Edmonton in exchange for Edmonton’s 2028 third-round pick. The same report notes that Levi spent nearly all of the prior two seasons in the American Hockey League with Rochester, and that he would not have had waiver exemption next season, which contributed to why Buffalo moved on.

Levi’s path in Buffalo also reflected a longer-term roster decision. The report describes him as 24 years old and in the second year of a two-year, $1.625 million deal. It also ties Buffalo’s final decision to how the organization handled the last pieces of its NHL goalie picture, including the fact that Buffalo claimed Colton Ellis off waivers from St. Louis last October and kept him on the NHL roster through the season.

On the blue line, the Sabres addressed a need for defensive organization and short-term stability by signing Olen Zellweger. The defenseman, 22, was acquired earlier in a deal with Anaheim that involved Buffalo receiving a 2026 second-round pick and minor league forward Anton Wahlberg. On July 1, Zellweger agreed to a three-year, $9.3 million contract, a move expected to place him into the lineup as part of a bottom-pairing role initially, with the upside to work his way up as the season progresses.

Buffalo also continued a smaller theme common to opening days of free agency: bringing familiar pieces back. The report says the Sabres returned two former players in free agency, defenseman Dennis Gilbert and forward Conor Sheary. Specific terms were not detailed in the reporting provided for this story, but the underlying aim is clear, adding organizational comfort without disrupting the broader plan.

The quiet nature of Buffalo’s July 1 can be read through the league context of how expensive the offseason market can be, especially for teams without significant cap room. The report also frames Buffalo as having considered bigger changes to make up for departures including defenseman Bowen Byram and winger Alex Tuch, but it notes that rumors involving a blockbuster goalie target, Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck, did not materialize at the time the moves were happening.

What to watch next is whether the Sabres’ restrained opening day suggests a complete lack of further activity or simply a staged approach. With the organization having adjusted goalie depth via the Levi trade and added Zellweger’s contract certainty on defense, Buffalo’s remaining roster questions should narrow, and further moves later in free agency or via trade will likely be about balancing line depth, special teams, and playoff-ready reserve options rather than a full identity change.

For Edmonton, the Levi trade is the more immediate reshaping factor, adding a goaltending option with recent AHL-heavy development and a timeline that can be evaluated during preseason. For Buffalo, the bigger question is whether the departures and incremental additions align with the same defensive and matchup priorities that carried them to the Atlantic Division title and the second round. Their early July 1 choices indicate the club believes it can refine its structure rather than reinvent it.