Earlier today, we concluded our month-long analysis of and predictions for the young forwards of the Anaheim Ducks by looking at Trevor Zegras. Let’s do the same for the last (but certainly not the least) young defenseman of the bunch: Olen Zellweger.
Related: Ducks September Series: 2024-25 Expectations for Trevor Zegras
Zellweger is a smooth-skating, quick-handed offensive dynamo on a mission to prove he can be the next in a long line of young, modern NHL defensemen who do not use traditional qualities like size, brute force, or strength to be impact players. Let’s consider his 26-game 2023-24 season a soft-opening, with 2024-25 serving as the hard launch of a career that has top pairing or top-four potential.
Zellweger Flashed Offensive Brilliance in Short Rookie Campaign
Zellweger’s last season call-up gave us all our long-awaited chance to witness Zellweger’s game at the professional level. After all, he had accomplished everything there was to in the amateur ranks. He was a multi-time World Junior Champion, set many statistical achievements, collected the WHL’s Defenseman of the Year in his last season, and even earned an All-Star nomination at the 2024 American Hockey League All-Star Game. His debut last season was predetermined; the only question was when.
The answer was Jan. 23 against the Buffalo Sabres, where he collected his first NHL point, an assist, in the win. He collected his first goal a couple months later in a March 31 game against the Vancouver Canucks. On those two plays and many others, he used his skating and offensive instincts to jump into plays and have an active role in the offense. His first goal came from the faceoff dot. Of course, that kind of energy and offensive activation cannot come at the expense of his defensive responsibilities, which will be a primary thing he needs to work on, but they are traits that have been missing from the Ducks’ blue line for a long time. The last Duck to exhibit that kind of exuberance was Brandon Montour, which was before he refined his game to what it is today.
Anyway, back to Zellweger, who finished his shortened rookie season with two goals, seven assists and 19:17 in average time-on-ice (TOI). By the final few weeks of the season, he received opportunities to work the power play and was routinely playing more than 20 minutes a night. It seems that he and teammate Pavel Mintyukov have supplanted the incumbent Cam Fowler as the top offensive facilitators from the blue line. That’s exactly how I’d expect the 2024-25 season to play out, too.
Zellweger and Mintyukov Will Facilitate Offense From the Back End
Fowler, if he even remains in a Ducks uniform this season, in all likelihood has ceded most if not all of his former responsibilities to the two new guys on the block. It’s a bit of a shame, because Fowler, despite all of his game experience and talents, never quite found the ability to transform the Ducks’ transition game and never became a feared power-play quarterback, which is exactly what Zellweger and Mintyukov should both be able to do as they develop their games. It’s not all Fowler’s fault by any stretch, but his chance to be the leader of this group, as far as on-ice duties are concerned, has passed him by. He is still an experienced leader with some game left, so if he remains in a Ducks uniform, he still has plenty of value.
Zellweger’s potential to be a dynamic defenseman is rooted in his ability to make a great first pass, handle the puck, and skate and see the ice incredibly well. He did that throughout his time at the junior, international, and AHL levels. He is one of two left-handed Ducks defensemen with those qualities, which should turn what was previously a deficiency in the Ducks’ defense into an asset. The ability to move the puck out of the defensive zone quickly and to the forwards is a critical component of any scheme. He will be central to that. The quicker he can get the puck into the hands of the playmakers up front, the more likely the Ducks are to spend time in the offensive zone. More time in the offensive zone means more time to see the likes of Zellweger interacting with Zegras, Troy Terry, Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, and Cutter Gauthier. That’s a lot to be excited about.
Plenty of Volume to Contribute Offensively
The youth movement in Anaheim means Zellweger and his young teammates will get ample opportunity to use their offensive instincts, speed, and creativity. This includes at five-on-five and on the power play. Mintyukov is the more complete player at the moment, so he may get a crack at the top power-play unit quarterback role, relegating Zellweger to the second. But when that unit is likely to feature guys like Alex Killorn, Frank Vatrano, McTavish, Carlsson, or others, you suddenly have two man-advantage units that have diversified skill sets, can move the puck quickly, and have multiple shooting threats. That’s not to say that it will be successful right away, but the creativity and hockey IQ are there to do some damage. Plus, if he plays 20-plus minutes a night early on, then plenty of opportunity will come his way.
Shoring up Defensive Responsibilities Will Fast Track Zellweger to Stardom
What can’t get lost in all of this is, of course, Zellweger’s primary responsibilities as a defenseman. At 21 years of age and just 26 games of NHL experience, he will likely struggle with some of those defensive duties. For instance, understanding the strength, compete, and desire required to protect the net front. To know when the right time is to move the puck versus skate with it. Nobody gets it right at first, so while there is plenty of promise from an offensive standpoint, patience will be the name of the game as Zellweger rounds out his game. We can reasonably expect some growing pains this season, with moments of sheer brilliance mixed in. The regular season is drawing near, when we’ll see what Zellweger and the crew have in store for us.
