The Anaheim Ducks reassigned rookie defenseman Olen Zellweger to the San Diego Gulls of the American Hockey League (AHL) on Thursday. The 20-year-old had one assist and a plus-2 rating in his four games with Anaheim. Zellweger was the fifth Ducks defenseman to earn a point in their NHL debut, which was in Anaheim’s 4-2 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Jan. 23. Although it’s been a small NHL sample size, Zellweger showed why he is one of Anaheim’s top prospects in his first stint in the NHL.
Why Anaheim Reassigned Zellweger to San Diego
The morning after Zellweger’s best game against the San Jose Sharks on Jan. 31, Ducks general manager (GM) Pat Verbeek sent the rookie defenseman back to San Diego. Anaheim has a full week off for the NHL All-Star Break and won’t play until Friday, Feb. 9 when they host the Edmonton Oilers. By returning to the Gulls, Zellweger can play two additional games against the Tucson Roadrunners on Friday and the Colorado Eagles on Saturday, as well as participate in the AHL All-Star Game on Monday (he was named to the AHL All-Star Team prior to being recalled by Anaheim.) He has 25 points (eight goals and 17 assists) in 34 AHL games, second among AHL rookie defensemen in goals and points per game (.74). The additional work will allow him to refine some elements of his defensive game before his next opportunity with the Ducks, which will likely be after the All-Star Break.
The length of Zellweger’s next stint in Anaheim remains a question. Although he has found early success, Verbeek has demonstrated caution with his young prospects. His outside-the-box decision to manage rookie forward Leo Carlsson’s workload through the first three months of the season after drafting the Swedish center second overall in the 2023 NHL Draft is one example. Zellweger lacks Carlsson’s elite pedigree, but he has surpassed expectations. The Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, native was selected by Anaheim in the second round (34th overall) of the 2021 NHL Draft and has dominated at every level of his development. In his final two seasons in the Western Hockey League (WHL), he was named the WHL Defenseman of the Year with the Everett Silvertips in 2021-22 and the Kamloops Blazers in 2022-23.
Last season, he was also the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Defenseman of The Year, awarded to the top defender across the three major Canadian junior leagues: the WHL, the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), and the Quebec Maritime Junior Hockey League (QMJHL). Zellweger also helped Canada win consecutive World Junior Championships in 2022 and 2023.
Ducks Enjoy 3-1 Record in Zellweger’s First 4 Games
Zellweger brought needed stability to the Ducks’ depleted back end after being recalled last week. Before that, Anaheim had lost five of their previous seven games without two defensemen from their top four. Verbeek traded Jamie Drysdale on Jan. 8 and Pavel Mintyukov suffered a shoulder injury the following game against the Nashville Predators on Jan. 9. During that stretch, the team struggled to get pucks out of their own end and wore down as games went on. The Ducks failed to generate scoring chances and allowed 4.28 goals per game.
Related: Ducks Recall Defenseman Olen Zellweger
The Ducks’ fortunes improved with Zellweger in the lineup. Although the rookie only had a modest impact on the scoresheet, his speed, passing, vision, and high-end skill helped the Ducks play better defensively and no longer chase the game in their own zone. He aided the Ducks’ breakout and offensive rush by moving his feet and making strong outlet passes. Anaheim went 3-1 in the four games with him in the lineup and only allowed two goals in three of the four. It was one of the team’s best stretches since their six-game winning streak from Oct. 22 to Nov. 5.
Zellweger’s Impact on the Power Play
Anaheim was missing an offensively-inclined defenseman to run their power play without Drysdale and Mintyukov. This forced Ducks head coach Greg Cronin’s hand to trust Zellweger to quarterback the struggling special-teams unit in his first game. On his very first power-play opportunity, he tallied an assist early in the second period against the Sabres: the young defenseman stick handled the puck from below the blue line and patiently waited for a shooting lane to open up before firing a shot toward the net. Sabres goalie Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen made the save, but Ducks forward Sam Carrick batted home the rebound from midair.
Zellweger also helped the Ducks find the back of the net on his last shift with the man advantage in the final minutes of Wednesday’s contest against the Sharks. Although it wasn’t on the power play, Anaheim had an extra attacker when Cronin pulled goalie John Gibson in need of a late goal to tie the game. The Sharks attempted to get the puck from their own zone, but Zellweger read the play and blocked the clearing attempt along the left wing boards. He rifled the puck back toward the goal line, allowing the Ducks offense to regain possession and reset. Carlsson then connected with forward Troy Terry for the game-tying goal with 60 seconds remaining.
Zellweger’s poise and puck-moving ability have been assets to the Ducks’ offensive attack and the advanced stats reflect this. On the power play, the Ducks’ expected goals were 30 percent higher with Zellweger on the ice than without him (9.51 compared to 7.06) according to HockeyViz.
Measuring Zellweger’s Development
Although Zellweger was given the responsibility of running the power play in his first game, the rookie gradually earned more of Cronin’s trust. His ice time steadily increased each game from 13:42 against the Sabres to a career-high 19:49 against the Sharks. Along with the added playing time, he moved up the lineup. The young defenseman played alongside Ilya Lyubushkin and Robert Hagg on the third pairing in his first two games before being promoted to the top pair with Cam Fowler.
Alongside a more talented partner, Zellweger had a greater impact. Against the Sharks, he created the Ducks’ first scoring chance on the opening shift of the game. He flew past defenders into the Sharks’ zone and ripped a hard wrist shot that grazed the short side of the post. This was just one of many examples where the rookie used his speed to push the pace and jumpstart the offense. The blueliner finished the game with his highest expected goals for (0.6) and lowest expected goals against (0.2) according to Hockey Stat Cards. He also had a career-high three shots on goal.
Other advanced metrics show Zellweger’s steady growth. Against the Sharks, he recorded his best game score (1.05), good for seventh best on the team per Hockey Stat Cards. That means he was among the upper third of Anaheim’s most productive players. The underlying numbers also show that more work remains. His average expected goals for (1.6) and game score (.36) were fifth among Ducks defensemen across his four games played, ahead of only Gustav Lindström and Hagg.
One perceived deficiency that hasn’t been a problem is Zellweger’s size. His 5-foot-10 frame was the main knock against him coming out of the draft, but the 189-pound defenseman compensates for his shorter stature with his upper body strength. However, his height limitations mean his body positioning is key when defending against larger opponents. So far, he’s been able to get inside attacking forwards and stay in front of them. The young blueliner has never had a minus rating through four games.
Overall, Zellweger’s first stint in the NHL was a successful one, and it shouldn’t be long before he gets another.
NHL data courtesy of HockeyViz and Hockey Stat Cards.