Earlier in the present day, we concluded our month-long evaluation of and predictions for the younger forwards of the Anaheim Geese by Trevor Zegras. Let’s do the identical for the final (however actually not the least) younger defenseman of the bunch: Olen Zellweger.
Associated: Geese September Collection: 2024-25 Expectations for Trevor Zegras
Zellweger is a smooth-skating, quick-handed offensive dynamo on a mission to show he may be the following in an extended line of younger, fashionable NHL defensemen who don’t use conventional qualities like measurement, brute drive, or energy to be influence gamers. Let’s contemplate his 26-game 2023-24 season a soft-opening, with 2024-25 serving because the exhausting launch of a profession that has prime pairing or top-four potential.
Zellweger Flashed Offensive Brilliance in Quick Rookie Marketing campaign
Zellweger’s final season call-up gave us all our long-awaited probability to witness Zellweger’s recreation on the skilled stage. In any case, he had achieved all the pieces there was to within the beginner ranks. He was a multi-time World Junior Champion, set many statistical achievements, collected the WHL’s Defenseman of the Yr in his final season, and even earned an All-Star nomination on the 2024 American Hockey League All-Star Sport. His debut final season was predetermined; the one query was when.
The reply was Jan. 23 towards the Buffalo Sabres, the place he collected his first NHL level, an help, within the win. He collected his first objective a pair months later in a March 31 recreation towards the Vancouver Canucks. On these two performs and lots of others, he used his skating and offensive instincts to leap into performs and have an energetic function within the offense. His first objective got here from the faceoff dot. After all, that sort of vitality and offensive activation can not come on the expense of his defensive duties, which shall be a major factor he must work on, however they’re traits which have been lacking from the Geese’ blue line for a very long time. The final Duck to exhibit that sort of exuberance was Brandon Montour, which was earlier than he refined his recreation to what it’s in the present day.
Anyway, again to Zellweger, who completed his shortened rookie season with two objectives, seven assists and 19:17 in common time-on-ice (TOI). By the ultimate few weeks of the season, he obtained alternatives to work the facility play and was routinely enjoying greater than 20 minutes an evening. It appears that evidently he and teammate Pavel Mintyukov have supplanted the incumbent Cam Fowler as the highest offensive facilitators from the blue line. That’s precisely how I’d count on the 2024-25 season to play out, too.
Zellweger and Mintyukov Will Facilitate Offense From the Again Finish
Fowler, if he even stays in a Geese uniform this season, in all chance has ceded most if not all of his former duties to the 2 new guys on the block. It’s a little bit of a disgrace, as a result of Fowler, regardless of all of his recreation expertise and abilities, by no means fairly discovered the flexibility to rework the Geese’ transition recreation and by no means turned a feared power-play quarterback, which is precisely what Zellweger and Mintyukov ought to each be capable to do as they develop their video games. It’s not all Fowler’s fault by any stretch, however his probability to be the chief of this group, so far as on-ice duties are involved, has handed him by. He’s nonetheless an skilled chief with some recreation left, so if he stays in a Geese uniform, he nonetheless has loads of worth.
Zellweger’s potential to be a dynamic defenseman is rooted in his means to make a terrific first go, deal with the puck, and skate and see the ice extremely nicely. He did that all through his time on the junior, worldwide, and AHL ranges. He’s certainly one of two left-handed Geese defensemen with these qualities, which ought to flip what was beforehand a deficiency within the Geese’ protection into an asset. The power to maneuver the puck out of the defensive zone rapidly and to the forwards is a essential element of any scheme. He shall be central to that. The faster he can get the puck into the palms of the playmakers up entrance, the extra doubtless the Geese are to spend time within the offensive zone. Extra time within the offensive zone means extra time to see the likes of Zellweger interacting with Zegras, Troy Terry, Mason McTavish, Leo Carlsson, and Cutter Gauthier. That’s quite a bit to be enthusiastic about.
Loads of Quantity to Contribute Offensively
The youth motion in Anaheim means Zellweger and his younger teammates will get ample alternative to make use of their offensive instincts, velocity, and creativity. This contains at five-on-five and on the facility play. Mintyukov is the extra full participant in the intervening time, so he might get a crack on the prime power-play unit quarterback function, relegating Zellweger to the second. However when that unit is more likely to function guys like Alex Killorn, Frank Vatrano, McTavish, Carlsson, or others, you all of a sudden have two man-advantage items which have diversified talent units, can transfer the puck rapidly, and have a number of capturing threats. That’s to not say that will probably be profitable instantly, however the creativity and hockey IQ are there to do some harm. Plus, if he performs 20-plus minutes an evening early on, then loads of alternative will come his approach.
Shoring up Defensive Duties Will Quick Observe Zellweger to Stardom
What can’t get misplaced in all of that is, in fact, Zellweger’s major duties as a defenseman. At 21 years of age and simply 26 video games of NHL expertise, he’ll doubtless battle with a few of these defensive duties. As an example, understanding the energy, compete, and need required to guard the web entrance. To know when the suitable time is to maneuver the puck versus skate with it. No one will get it proper at first, so whereas there’s loads of promise from an offensive standpoint, persistence shall be the secret as Zellweger rounds out his recreation. We will moderately count on some rising pains this season, with moments of sheer brilliance blended in. The common season is drawing close to, after we’ll see what Zellweger and the crew have in retailer for us.
