Olen
Zellweger
D · BUF · Offensive · Very good
- PAL
- 72
- WAR
- 0.4
- Value
- 83
- PTS
- 22
2025-26№ 108 / 325
Olen Zellweger (Buffalo Sabres) stats and profile: offensive production, ice time, advanced stats, WAR and PAL rating.
Olen Zellweger
HEIGHT : 178 cm · WEIGHT : 88 kg · SHOOTS : L
Born : September 9, 2003 · Calgary, Canada
Drafted : 2021 · ANA · round 2, pick #34
Contract : $3,100,000 · 2026-27 → 2028-29 · Standard Contract · RFA · Signing bonus $750,000
NHL record
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-27 | Buffalo Sabres | 16 | 3 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
| 2025-26 | Anaheim Ducks | 76 | 7 | 15 | 22 | 34 |
| 2024-25 | Anaheim Ducks | 62 | 7 | 13 | 20 | 20 |
| 2023-24 | Anaheim Ducks | 26 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 4 |
| NHL totals | 180 | 19 | 38 | 57 | 70 | |
Playoffs
| Year | Team | GP | G | A | PTS | PIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | Anaheim Ducks | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
| Playoff totals | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
Olen Zellweger: our analysis
2025-26 season: 76 GP, 7 G, 15 A, 22 PTS, +4 +/-, 16:59 TOI. WAR 0.4 (108th of 325) · PAL 72, very good.
In 2025-26, Olen Zellweger, 23, posts a PAL Rating of 72 out of 100 (very good), and his WAR of 0.4 ranks 108th among 325 regulars, in the top half.
His strengths: creation (96, among the best in the league), shooting (86, among the best in the league) and discipline (85, among the best in the league). On the other hand, power play (21, well below average) and defense (27, below average) hold him back.
Breaking down his WAR (goals above average), his biggest contribution: EV offense (+2.5); his biggest cost: EV defense (-1.6).
A clear step forward: his PAL went from 62 in 2024-25 to 72; his WAR went from 0.3 to 0.4.
Contract-wise, his Value score of 83 (very good contract) weighs his output against what he costs: 50 is what that salary should buy.
Olen Zellweger's story
Raised in Bonnyville after early years in the province of Alberta, Olen Zellweger cut his teeth in youth hockey and celebrated a provincial AA Atom title with the Bonnyville Pontiacs. Those formative tournaments helped shape the composure and puck skills that would define his transition to junior ranks.
Everett selected him in the second round of the 2018 WHL prospect draft and he debuted with the Silvertips at 16 during 2019–20. Over 148 games in Everett he posted 28 goals and 103 assists, a production that culminated in the 2021–22 Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy as WHL defenceman of the year — the first time a Silvertips player earned that award.
Anaheim drafted Zellweger 34th overall in the 2021 NHL Entry Draft and signed him to a three-year entry-level contract on August 13, 2021. He made a brief pro debut with the San Diego Gulls in the AHL playoffs, recording an assist. Back in junior, he was traded to the Kamloops Blazers in January 2023 and finished that season with further accolades: another Bill Hunter Trophy, a spot on the Memorial Cup all-star team and CHL Defenceman of the Year recognition.
The 2023–24 campaign saw him skate primarily for San Diego, earn selection to the AHL All-Star Game and receive multiple recalls to Anaheim. He registered an assist in his NHL debut on January 23, 2024, and scored his first NHL goal on March 31, 2024. He finished that season with two goals and nine points in 26 NHL games. In the 2026 Stanley Cup playoffs he scored a late third-period equalizer in Game 5 of the Ducks' second-round series against Vegas.
Internationally, Zellweger debuted with Canada at the 2021 IIHF U18 Championship, contributing to a tournament win over Russia, and played on Canada’s World Junior teams in the altered 2022 event and in 2023, collecting gold medals and all-star recognition. His game is defined by strong skating, steady puck-moving from the back end and an instinct for joining offensive sequences while handling defensive responsibilities.
Facts drawn from Wikipédia, told in our own words.
Advanced stats
- TOI/GP
- 19:41
- PP TOI/GP
- 0:25
- SH TOI/GP
- 1:01
- Pts/GP
- 0.38
- EV points
- 6
- Hits
- 4
- Blocks
- 13
- Takeaways
- 4
- Corsi % (SAT)
- 55.6 %
- Off. zone starts
- 37.0 %
Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)
2026-27 projection
Projected points
23between 12 and 33 (80% range)
- Goals
- 9
- Assists
- 14
- Games
- 70
So far: 6 pts in 16 games. The team has played 17 of 84 games. Projected pace: 0.32 pts per game (last season: 0.29).
The projection follows last season's pace. Tested on 2,265 player seasons (2022-23 to 2025-26): average miss of 9 points over 82 games; for players at 0.9 points per game and up, it ran 5 points high on average.
Trend
Slightly up
- Points per game: 0.35 in 23-24, 0.29 in 25-26
- PAL Rating: 62 → 72
Outlook, age included
↑ Trending upAge 23: usually still improving
This is only a projection. It knows nothing about injuries, trades or role changes; one player in five finishes outside the range.
Player ratings, 2025-26
All ratings →Fourteen ratings from 0 to 100 drawn from data, never by hand: 75 = established NHL player, 95+ = elite.
OV · OverallConfidence 74 %
79
Established NHL
- SK
- Skating
- 95
- Confidence 67 %
- ST
- Strength
- 76
- Confidence 78 %
- EN
- Endurance
- 71
- Confidence 75 %
- DU
- Durability
- 69
- Confidence 67 %
- CK
- Checking
- 68
- Confidence 78 %
- FG
- Fighting
- 70
- Confidence 50 %
- DI
- Discipline
- 86
- Confidence 78 %
- FO
- Faceoffs
- —
- PA
- Passing
- 77
- Confidence 74 %
- SC
- Scoring
- 86
- Confidence 74 %
- DF
- Defense
- 64
- Confidence 70 %
- PS
- Penalty shot
- 76
- Confidence 0 %
- EX
- Experience
- 58
- Confidence 100 %
Why these ratings?Hide details
SK — Skating95
- Top speed (35 %)36.1 · 83
- Bursts > 20 mph /60 (30 %)5.243 · 95
- Distance /60 (20 %)15.3 · 98
- Speed consistency (15 %)35.3 · 84
ST — Strength76
- Contact absorbed /60 (50 %)6.746 · 88
- Body mass (50 %)-0.729 · 62
EN — Endurance71
- Ice time per game (45 %)17.8 · 69
- Total ice time (20 %)1,258 · 73
- Shift length (15 %)47 · 73
- Lowest recent ice time per game (15 %)16.8 · 71
- Special-teams time per game (5 %)2.036 · 71
DU — Durability69
- Share of games played (100 %)0.769 · 69
CK — Checking68
- Hits /60 (70 %)2.097 · 67
- Lowest seasonal rate (20 %)1.946 · 69
- Season volume (10 %)3.526 · 69
FG — Fighting70
- Fights per 82 games (100 %)0.747 · 70
DI — Discipline86
- Net penalty value /60 (50 %)-0.008 · 86
- Penalties taken /60 (30 %)0.681 · 72
- Penalties drawn /60 (20 %)0.634 · 88
PA — Passing77
- Primary assists /60 (40 %)0.373 · 76
- Secondary assists /60 (20 %)0.377 · 72
- Offensive creation (RAPM) (20 %)0.082 · 83
- Power-play points /60 (10 %)3.391 · 57
- Assist consistency (10 %)0.316 · 80
SC — Scoring86
- Goals /60 (25 %)0.319 · 84
- Individual xG /60 (20 %)0.343 · 90
- Finishing (goals − xG per shot) (20 %)0.026 · 66
- High-danger chances /60 (15 %)0.236 · 88
- xG per shot (10 %)0.037 · 86
- Shot attempts /60 (10 %)13.7 · 88
DF — Defense64
- RAPM defense /60 (35 %)-0.061 · 64
- Relative xG against (20 %)-0.002 · 75
- On-ice xG against /60 (15 %)2.87 · 56
- Penalty kill /60 (10 %)0.014 · 77
- Takeaways − giveaways /60 (10 %)-2.056 · 73
- Shot attempts against /60 (5 %)62.7 · 42
- Blocked shots /60 (5 %)4.178 · 72
PS — Penalty shot76
- Shootouts (60 %)32.7 · 76
- Penalty shots (40 %)26.7 · 76
EX — Experience58
- Career regular-season games (65 %)72
- Career playoff games (25 %)26
- NHL seasons (10 %)47
OV — Overall79
- DF · Defense (30 %)64
- PA · Passing (22 %)77
- SK · Skating (12 %)95
- SC · Scoring (12 %)86
- EN · Endurance (9 %)71
- ST · Strength (6 %)76
- DI · Discipline (5 %)86
- CK · Checking (4 %)68
| Season | OV | SK | SC | DF |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | 79 | 95 | 86 | 64 |
| 2024-25 | 75 | 89 | 86 | 60 |
| 2023-24 | 74 | 82 | 80 | 63 |
The bars show confidence (sample size), not player quality. — : not enough data, not a zero. Engine version 1.0.
WAR and PAL ratings, 2025-26
How we rate →PAL Rating scores performance from 0 to 100 against players at the same position (50 = average player), starting from the player's strength, offensive or defensive. Value Rating compares that performance with what the player costs: 50 means paid what the play is worth.
WAR
0.4
wins above replacement
108 of 325
PAL Rating
72/ 100
Performance · Very good
65 of 250 at the position
Value Rating
83/ 100
Very good contract
0.84 M$ · expected PAL 37
ProfileOffensiveValue comes mostly from offense
- Offense
- 81
- Defense
- 34
See full detailsHide details
- Offense
- 65
- Creation
- 96
- Shooting
- 86
- Possession
- 65
- Defense
- 27
- Discipline
- 85
- Power play
- 21
- Penalty kill
- 45
From 0 to 100; 50 is the average player at the same position, adjusted for ice time.
| Season | Team | WAR | PAL | Value | Cap hit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | ANA | 0.4 | 72 | 83 | 0.84 M$ |
| 2024-25 | ANA | 0.3 | 62 | 81 | 0.84 M$ |
| 2023-24 | ANA | 0.1 | 32 | 45 | 0.84 M$ |
Hockey IQ, 2025-26
Rankings and method →The quality of the player's decisions with and against the puck at 5-on-5, against regulars at the same position (50 = average). PAL measures output; IQ measures how the player plays.
Overall IQ
93/ 100
Elite
better than 93% of defensemen, offense and defense combined
Offensive IQ
95/ 100
Elite
passing, shots, puck
Defensive IQ
70/ 100
Very good
takeaways, discipline, own zone
Overall IQ isn't an average of the two scores: it's the player's rank with offense and defense combined, 15 of 225 defensemen.
See full detailsHide details
Offense
- Playmaking passes
- 66
- Shot selection
- 90
- Penalties drawn
- 93
- Puck management
- 69
Defense
- Takeaways
- 49
- Discipline
- 45
- Safe zone exits
- 93
Percentiles: 80 means better than 80% of regulars at the same position. Play without the puck (positioning, coverage) isn't measured: the NHL doesn't publish that data.
| Season | Team | IQ | Off. | Def. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | ANA | 93 | 95 | 70 |
| 2024-25 | ANA | 95 | 92 | 87 |
| 2023-24 | ANA | 69 | 39 | 84 |
WAR, 2025-26
How it's calculated →Wins added to the team, compared with a replacement-level player called up from the AHL.
0.4
wins above replacement
-0.2 to 0.9 — 90% interval
108 of 325 defensemen
+2.2 goals above replacement
Full leaderboard →See full detailsHide details
- EV offense
- +2.5
- EV defense
- -1.6
- Power play
- -0.1
- Penalty kill
- +0.1
- Shooting
- -1.0
- Penalties
- -0.2
- Average → replacement
- +2.6
In goals.
| Season | Team | GP | WAR | 90% interval | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025-26 | ANA | 76 | 0.4 | -0.2 to 0.9 | 108/325 |
| 2024-25 | ANA | 60 | 0.3 | -0.6 to 0.8 | 126/314 |
| 2023-24 | ANA | 26 | 0.1 | -0.2 to 0.6 | 152/316 |
Player tracking (NHL EDGE)
League EDGE leaderboards →Speed, shot power, distance covered, time by zone: measured by chips in the puck and shoulder pads. 90th percentile = better than 90% of players.
- Hardest shot
- 139.1 km/h44th percentileleague avg. 139.7 km/h
- Top skating speed
- 36.0 km/h91st percentileleague avg. 34.0 km/h
- Bursts over 20 mph, season
- 4199th percentileleague avg. 8
- Offensive zone time
- 42.6 %66th percentileleague avg. 42.4 %
See full detailsHide details
- Total distance, season
- 76.3 km71st percentileleague avg. 56.1 km
- Distance, single-game high
- 6.74 km93rd percentileleague avg. 4.98 km
- Offensive zone at 5v5
- 43.4 %70th percentileleague avg. 42.8 %
- Neutral zone time
- 18.7 %78th percentileleague avg. 16.9 %
- Defensive zone time
- 38.8 %72nd percentileleague avg. 40.8 %
Shooting
| Shots on goal | Goals | Shooting % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| All | 2887th percentile | 395th percentile | 10.7 %79th percentile |
| High danger | 175th percentile | 084th percentile | 0.0 %60th percentile |
| Mid range | 787th percentile | 190th percentile | 14.3 %65th percentile |
| Long range | 968th percentile | 299th percentile | 22.2 %100th percentile |
Shots on goal by zone
2026-2027 regular season. Measured by puck and player tracking chips; the percentile ranks the player within the league.
Game log, 2026-27
VGK
CBJ
OTT
LAK
ANA
SJS
WSH
PHI
MTL
TOR
FLA
UTA
DAL
MIN
CHIOlen Zellweger: frequently asked questions
How many goals does Olen Zellweger have in 2026-27?
Olen Zellweger has 3 goals and 6 points (3 assists) in 16 games in 2026-27.
How old is Olen Zellweger?
Olen Zellweger is 23 years old: he was born on September 10, 2003.
How tall is Olen Zellweger, and how much does he weigh?
Olen Zellweger is 5'10" (178 cm) and weighs 194 lb (88 kg).
Where is Olen Zellweger from?
Canada: Olen Zellweger was born in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
What team does Olen Zellweger play for?
Olen Zellweger plays for the Buffalo Sabres in the NHL, at D, wearing number 8.
Is Olen Zellweger injured?
No: Olen Zellweger is not on the latest NHL injury report. This answer is updated throughout the season.
How good is Olen Zellweger?
Olen Zellweger produced 0.4 wins above replacement (WAR) in 2025-26, 108th of 325 players at his position in the NHL. His PAL rating is 72 out of 100: very good for his position.
How much does Olen Zellweger make?
Olen Zellweger earns $844K for the 2025-26 season. His Value Rating is 83 out of 100 (very good contract): it measures the on-field return for that salary, compared with players at his position.
When does Olen Zellweger's contract end?
Olen Zellweger's contract runs through the 2028-29 season; he will then be a restricted free agent.
Is Olen Zellweger overpaid?
No, he gives more than he costs. His Value rating is 83 out of 100 (very good contract), where 50 is the output expected for his salary, compared with players at his position.
Is Olen Zellweger a top-10 player at his position?
No: by WAR, he ranks 108th of 325 players at his position in the NHL in 2025-26. Our comparison tool puts him side by side with any other player.
Is Olen Zellweger getting better?
Yes: his PAL rating went from 62 in 2024-25 to 72 in 2025-26 (out of 100, 50 = average player at his position).
How has Olen Zellweger played lately?
Over his last 10 games, Olen Zellweger has 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists).
What are Olen Zellweger's career stats?
Over his NHL career, Olen Zellweger has 180 games, 19 goals, 38 assists and 57 points. His best season: 2025-26, with 22 points in 76 games.
Where was Olen Zellweger drafted?
Olen Zellweger was drafted 34th overall (round 2) by Anaheim Ducks in 2021.
Is Olen Zellweger better at home or on the road?
On the road: in 2026-27, he averages 0.11 points per game at home (1 in 9 games) and 0.71 on the road (5 in 7 games).
How does Olen Zellweger perform in the playoffs?
In the playoffs, Olen Zellweger has 3 games and 2 points in his career. His pace (0.67 points per game) is higher than his regular-season pace (0.32).
Which player is most similar to Olen Zellweger?
Pavel Mintyukov: he is the player at his position whose PAL profile (the 0-to-100 dimensions) is closest to his in 2025-26.
Pavel Mintyukov's page →Is Olen Zellweger a good fantasy pick?
Probably not, except in deep leagues: our projection has him at 23 points in 2026-27, or 0.33 points per game.
What is Olen Zellweger's nationality?
Olen Zellweger is Canadian. Internationally: Team Canada: Gold at the 2021 IIHF World U18 Championship (defeated Russia); gold at the 2022 World Junior Championship (tournament held in August 2022) and gold at the 2023 World Junior Championship; made senior national team debut at the 2024 IIHF World Championship.
What awards has Olen Zellweger won?
Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (WHL Defenceman of the Year) — 2021–22 ; Bill Hunter Memorial Trophy (WHL Defenceman of the Year) — second time (end of 2022–23) ; Memorial Cup Tournament All-Star Team — 2023 (Memorial Cup hosted by Kamloops) ; CHL First All-Star Team — 2022–23 ; CHL Defenceman of the Year — 2022–23 ; World Junior Championship All-Star Team — 2022 tournament (August 2022) ; Named to the AHL All-Star Game — 2023–24 season.
How many championships has Olen Zellweger won?
4: Atom (Under-11) AA championship with the Bonnyville Pontiacs — year not stated; Gold medal at the 2021 IIHF World U18 Championship with Canada; Gold medal at the 2022 World Junior Championship with Canada (rescheduled tournament, August 2022); Gold medal at the 2023 World Junior Championship with Canada.
Where did Olen Zellweger play before turning pro?
Everett Silvertips (WHL) — selected in the second round of the 2018 prospect draft; debuted at age 16 in the 2019–20 season; played 148 games for Everett (28 goals, 103 assists). Prior: Bonnyville Pontiacs (Atom AA) — won an Atom AA championship (year not stated)..
How many points is Olen Zellweger projected to score in 2026-27?
Our projection has him at 23 points in 70 games in 2026-27 (12 to 33 points, 80% interval), based on his recent seasons, age and role.
See also: his Buffalo Sabres teammates
Full roster →
NHL.com ↗ · Stats and photos: NHL (NHL.com)