Olen Zellweger

July 2023 – Zellweger has solidified himself as a top own in keeper leagues among defense prospects. He finished second in WHL scoring amongst defense, with 80 points in 55 games, but finished first is points per game at 1.45. Zellweger began the year with the Everette Silvertips, played at the World Juniors for Canada again, and finished the year with the Kamloops Blazers. With the Silvertips he had 1.22 ppg but for the Blazers he had 1.63 ppg, as he played for one of the powerhouse teams. In the playoffs Zellweger hit another level as he finished second in scoring for the league with 29 points in 14 games as the Blazers fell in round three to the stacked Seattle Thunderbirds team. The Blazers were also the first eliminated in the Memorial Cup, which is never fun as the host team. Zellweger was voted an all-star defenseman in the Memorial Cup and he was also awarded the 2022-23 WHL Defenseman of the Year. He is likely to make the Ducks out of camp but there is a small chance he starts out in the AHL. Pat Quinn

December 2022 – After 11 points in seven games for Team Canada last year at the World Juniors, Zellweger is back to represent his country and will look to help them win back-to-back golds. Personally, his stock has skyrocketed since being drafted and will be a main component to Canada’s success for the 2023 tournament.

July 2021 – Zellweger was selected in the second round, 34th overall by the Anaheim Ducks in the 2021 NHL Draft. Nick Richard

July 2021 – Zellweger was a force in the shortened WHL campaign, racking up 13 points in 11 contests with the Everett Silvertips, but his real breakout came at the U18 World Championships where he put up eight points in seven games on the way to a gold medal with Canada.

Zellweger’s game is built on his exceptional skating ability. His stride is clean and efficient, his four-way mobility is elite, and he loves to activate on the rush. He recognizes lanes on the weak side and makes himself available in transition to push play in a positive direction for his team, but his in-zone offensive game still needs refinement. His skating allows him to maintain tight gaps in defensive transition and he can recover if an attacking forward gets a step on him. Zellweger is a fine puck-mover but improving his processing speed on retrievals and breakouts will really unlock his full potential as a top-four NHL defenseman. Nick Richard