Olen Zellweger is heading back to the AHL as the Ducks are on their All-Star Break

Thursday morning, the Anaheim Ducks announced they’ve reassigned rookie Left-shot defenseman, Olen Zellweger, to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. This doesn’t come as a surprise as the Ducks have entered their All-Star Break and their next game is scheduled for Feb. 9 when they will host the Edmonton Oilers in Anaheim.

The San Diego Gulls will host the Tucson Roadrunners on Friday night and the Colorado Eagles on Saturday. Zellweger could be a full participant in one or both of the games as the integral piece of the Gulls D corps he’s been throughout his 2023-24 campaign.

Zellweger was named to the AHL All-Star game as the Gulls representative. The AHL All-Star game is set to take place on Sunday in San Jose with the Skills Competition on Saturday. In his AHL rookie season, Olen Zellweger has tallied 8 goals and 17 assists for 25 points in his 34 games with the club.

Zellweger was called up to the Anaheim Ducks on Jan. 23 ahead of their 4-2 defeat of the Buffalo Sabres. He tallied his first NHL point, an assist, in that game on a point shot on the power play that was redirected in front by Sam Carrick. He drew into the Ducks lineup three more times before the All-Star break but didn’t crack the scoresheet again. In his four NHL games this season has played two games paired with Ducks’ veteran defenseman, Cam Fowler, once with Robert Hagg, and once with Ilya Lyubushkin while averaging 16:19 minutes per game.

Zellweger’s offensive instincts and abilities are undeniable. He is technically one of the best and most powerful skaters out there. He is always looking to push the tempo and attack the offensive zone in transition. In the offensive zone, he is always in motion and loves to open his hips while walking the blueline with the puck to freeze the high defenders in pursuit. He is always searching for dangerous lanes to release his hard and accurate shot or find teammates in soft areas of the zone.

Takeaways from the Ducks 3-2 OT Victory over the Sharks

Heading into the season, Zellweger was seemingly tasked with rounding out his fundamental defensive game. At lower levels, he tended to rely on his superior skating and could take chances with the knowledge he could recover if things went awry. He was studious and diligent in this assignment and maintained his offensive potency, earning his call-up to the NHL earlier in the month. There is new kinetic energy to the Ducks’ cycle in the offensive zone, in transition, and on the power play with Olen Zellweger on the ice. We should expect to see him back on the ice at Honda Center in a Ducks sweater on Feb. 9 to take on the Oilers.