Player Discussion Olen Zellweger

[All Mighty]

Didn't the Ducks keep him out of all preseason games last year because he was so allergic to contact? Based on that it would shock me if they wanted to keep him on the roster now. I'm not sure the Ducks would help the kid much by doing that. He'd miss the WHL start and he'd get run over over and over again playing NHL.

Other than McTavish, I can’t remember the last time the Ducks let an 18 year old play any preseason games (maybe Drysdale, but I don’t remember if there was much preseason that year).

 

[WhatTheDuck]

Cases like this make me often wish that the minor league structure below the NHL more closely resembled that of baseball. A guy like Zellweger would be best suited playing in a 'AA' league this year, mostly competing against other 19-22 year old top prospects. He probably doesn't need to spend another year feasting on a junior league, but also may not be quite ready for full time matchups vs NHLers

 

[Gliff]

Cases like this make me often wish that the minor league structure below the NHL more closely resembled that of baseball. A guy like Zellweger would be best suited playing in a 'AA' league this year, mostly competing against other 19-22 year old top prospects. He probably doesn't need to spend another year feasting on a junior league, but also may not be quite ready for full time matchups vs NHLers

The problem isn't lack of leagues.
The problem is the CHL/ALH agreement. It is the dumbest shit ever.

Imagine if Baseball players were stuck to either low A or the majors until they were 21 in order to keep the low A teams making money.

 

[bsu]

The problem isn't lack of leagues.
The problem is the CHL/ALH agreement. It is the dumbest shit ever.

Imagine if Baseball players were stuck to either low A or the majors until they were 21 in order to keep the low A teams making money.

Like everything in life, everything is about $

 

[c4rcy]

If he was allowed, I think going NCAA might help with the physicality playing against 20-25 year olds.

 

[ADHB]

Other than McTavish, I can’t remember the last time the Ducks let an 18 year old play any preseason games (maybe Drysdale, but I don’t remember if there was much preseason that year).

Lundestrom because he actually made the team as an 18yo.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

The problem isn't lack of leagues.
The problem is the CHL/ALH agreement. It is the dumbest shit ever.

Imagine if Baseball players were stuck to either low A or the majors until they were 21 in order to keep the low A teams making money.

Baseball is different.

Track 1: From high school, go to college.
................. If you get drafted high enough, then you go to MLB team.
................. If you don't get drafted high enough, then you go to college and go through the draft process again.

Track 2: From high school, get signed by MLB team.

Track 3: International youth gets signed at age 16 by MLB team. (Youngest I remember is 16 years old, but could be younger.)

Once you're in the MLB system, then you go as high as your talent allows in how much time needed from rookie fall league to the MLB. It's all owned by one entity, the MLB. It's a straight monopoly for the MLB. As for low-A, there are lawsuits about the conditions and payment for some minor league teams.

=======
NHL, CHL, NCAA, and non-NA leagues are all different leagues.

Ages per league

NHL: 18-38 or higher​

AHL: 18- 28 or higher​

non-NA leagues: 16 - 40 or higher (Lundy was playing in the SHL as a 16-year old.)​

NCAA: 17 - 24​

CHL: 16-22 (a limit of three 20+ year old players)​

The CHL isn't preventing under 20-year old players from playing in the NHL. The CHL does prevent under 20-year old players from playing in the AHL. Also, there is a date cutoff of to that age 20 rule. If they're 20 years old by Dec 31st of the new season, then they are able to jump to the AHL. For Example, Minty was just drafted this summer as an 18-year old, has a Nov birthday, and will be 20 years old going into his D+2 season. That means Minty can go to the AHL for his D+2 season if the Ducks want that to happen.

AHL: 18-28 years old or higher
CHL: 16-22 years old (a limit of three 20+ year old players per team)

The overlap between the two leagues are ages 18-20. Not all drafted CHL players need to stay the additional two seasons in the CHL if the turn 20 years old by Dec 31st. That means the overlap is even smaller for the CHL to retain high end talents. This implies the AHL is already saturated with loads of talent compared to the CHL.

The wait time for CHL players seems to pale in comparison to NCAA players who wish to stay longer in the NCAA. If a CHL prospect is talented enough, then at most the player plays two seasons. An NCAA prospect can wait four seasons before turning pro such as D LaCombe and D Thrun.

There also exists the possibility that an NCAA player could to the FA route and the NHL drafting club loses his rights after waiting four years since the draft. At least with a CHL player, there are no obstructions from the NHL team signing the prospect.

Why complain about the CHL/AHL agreement just so we can have McTavish in the AHL in his D+2 season? Why not see it as the Ducks drafted a highly talented prospect where he is too good for the CHL in his D+2. If we were a better NHL team full of talent, then we wouldn't be this desperate to bring young talent to the pro side.

 

[Paul4587]

He has really bulked up visually. He might not be immovable out there, but his latest measurements put him in an identical size as Makar. Zell has the skating to elude most hits. He'd have to be careful near board battles of course, but I could see the Ducks giving his skating and puckhandling a chance IF all goes well

He is not the same size as Makar though, the measurements can say what they want but it’s not the case. And as good a skater Zell is, he doesn’t come close to as good as Makar who only has one rival for the best all around skater in the league.

If he was allowed, I think going NCAA might help with the physicality playing against 20-25 year olds.

I agree that would be a better situation than juniors for him. Unfortunately the NCAA isn’t an option for him.

 

[bsu]

He's maybe an inch taller than De Leo. I was at the glass for warm-ups and they stood next to each other talking for a bit right in front of me. They are very similar sized.

 

[bsu]

His numbers are going to be insane this year.

 

[bsu]

 

[bsu]

 

[Smirnov2Chistov]

I am still very skeptical how his size and skill will translate to the NHL.

 

[Hockey Duckie]

I am still very skeptical how his size and skill will translate to the NHL.

Maybe use his speed and agility to play keep away.

 

[Kalv]

I am still very skeptical how his size and skill will translate to the NHL.

I am concerned as well. The good thing is, we don't have to rush him. But Drysdale, Zellweger, and Mintyukov are quite soft for the core. None of them will be able to excel if we are soft overall.

Ideally, we'd have some more muscle, and it might not be enough with Warren and Benny alone.

 

[Masch78]

I am still very skeptical how his size and skill will translate to the NHL.

I'm not. He fits the current style of the league very well. And when it comes to size, his center of gravity is low and his technical skating style awesome. If he stands 5.10 - 5.11 and has around 200 lbs this would be perfect. Adam Fox or Quinn Hughes do not measure much more ;-)

 

[Mortal Wombat]

I'm not. He fits the current style of the league very well. And when it comes to size, his center of gravity is low and his technical skating style awesome. If he stands 5.10 - 5.11 and has around 200 lbs this would be perfect. Adam Fox or Quinn Hughes do not measure much more ;-)

If he was anywhere near that there would be no concern, but he's not. Zegras is probably around 5'11 (there was that video of him next to Crosby and if anything, Z looked a bit shorter). Zellweger is way shorter. The reported heights of many Ducks players seem to be utter bs. They must be measuring them with their skates on.

 

[bsu]

If he was anywhere near that there would be no concern, but he's not. Zegras is probably around 5'11 (there was that video of him next to Crosby and if anything, Z looked a bit shorter). Zellweger is way shorter. The reported heights of many Ducks players seem to be utter bs. They must be measuring them with their skates on.

Usually you play hockey with skates on.

 

[Mortal Wombat]

Usually you play hockey with skates on.

Yes, and? I'm sorry I missed your point.

 

[Mortal Wombat]

That's unfortunate.

So are you saying it's customary to report player heights with skates on?

 

[bsu]

So are you saying it's customary to report player heights with skates on?

It's definitely only Duck players that have the inconsistent reported height numbers.

 

[Mortal Wombat]

It's definitely only Duck players that have the inconsistent reported height numbers.

Now, you could have led with this. It's very likely true that many teams do that. In this case the point is that Zell is not as tall as he is reported to be. I used Zegras as an example because he's likely around the height discussed here, but I had to somehow point out that his reported height isn't correct either (otherwise people will look at that reported height and say that of course Zell is shorter than that). The "measuring players with their skates on" was meant as a joke as we have discussed the heights of several of our players this season. So I said Ducks because we are Ducks fans discussing the Ducks, but I guess I should have added that many others do this, too. Thank you for pointing that out.

 

[Kalv]

It's definitely only Duck players that have the inconsistent reported height numbers.

In the pictures Zegras look taller than Hughes and Turcotte. So FWIW I think his height, weather is right or faulty, is consistend with also the US development heights. But yeah in that video Crosby looked taller than Zegras.

 

[91Fedorov]

Yes it is just based on height. Beauch was not as tall as how i used to think he was.
They used to have him listed as 6'1 but then it changed to 5'11 on NHL.com after he retired.
So its like after he retired he didn't mind his real height being listed.

For what it's worth, I met Beauch years ago at that event where each table would have a chef prepared meal and Ducks players would serve the fans their plates. Beauch was at my table. I'm 5' 11", and I recall him being a little taller than me. This was probably around 2010-ish.

 

[Anaheim4ever]

For what it's worth, I met Beauch years ago at that event where each table would have a chef prepared meal and Ducks players would serve the fans their plates. Beauch was at my table. I'm 5' 11", and I recall him being a little taller than me. This was probably around 2010-ish.

Originally Beauch was listed as 6'1 so maybe that was accurate and only changed due to someone making an error on the NHL website.