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Olen Zellweger, Anaheim Ducks (Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)

Oilers Land Olen Zellweger in Suggested Trade With Ducks

Originally posted on The Hockey Writers
By Jesse Courville-Lynch | Last updated Jul 19, 2025 4:05 PM ET

The Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks have been going in opposite directions over the past couple of seasons. The Oilers have been on the cusp of their first Stanley Cup since 1990, having made back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances, while the Ducks have struggled to find their way out of the bottom of the standings as they work through a long rebuild. Both teams have tried to improve this summer, and while the Oilers going on a deep run into the playoffs again wouldn’t shock anyone, the Ducks are trying to make it back to the postseason, and have made some moves that prove they want to start winning again.

In this article, we take a look at what a potential swap between the two teams would look like. The Oilers could look to give a young defender in Olen Zellweger a fresh start and a chance to break into a full-time bottom-pairing role, while the Ducks get a promising prospect and a draft pick in return.

This article is simply hypothetical, and no report indicates that something like this is imminent or has even been discussed between the two teams yet.

Zellweger Becomes an Oiler, Hutson Gets Better Shot With Ducks

The Oilers don’t need to make changes to their blue line this summer, which is new for them, considering they have struggled to find consistent defending heading into a new season, but now, they don’t have any holes. Adding Zellweger would put him in a similar role to what he has with the Ducks, but he has a stronger path to the NHL and could earn a bottom-pairing role quicker than he could with the Ducks.

When someone is looking for a fresh start, there are times they want to head back somewhere they feel comfortable, and while Zellweger was born in Calgary, Alberta, coming back to the province he was born in could help him build some newfound confidence. Salary shouldn’t be an issue for the Oilers if this deal ever came to fruition, since he only has a cap hit of $844,167.

In return, the Ducks would be looking for young NHL-ready players. The first player that comes to mind is forward Quinn Hutson, who is going to compete for a spot in the Oilers’ lineup this season, but with the incredible depth they have throughout their entire lineup, he may be the odd man out. With the Ducks, he would be a lock in their bottom six.

The full hypothetical deal would be the Oilers acquiring Zellweger in exchange for Hutson and a 2027 fifth-round pick.

It’s a beneficial deal for both teams and all players involved. Some fans and pundits, including myself, are very high on Hutson, but his situation with the Oilers may force them to move him out. Zellweger could be an upgrade on Troy Stecher, and he could compete with Ty Emberson on a nightly basis, but it also gives the Oilers the option to run seven defensemen on any given night.

Creating internal competition is always beneficial, especially for contending teams, and creating some extra motivation on the back end could be helpful for the Oilers. For the Ducks, they add a future draft pick and a promising forward who could break out as soon as next season.

There have been rumblings that Zellweger could get traded, considering the logjam on the Ducks’ blueline, and time will tell what the Ducks end up doing with him as the summer moves along.

As the 2025-26 season approaches, be sure to continue following The Hockey Writers as your source for news from around the NHL and the hockey world.

Salary cap data courtesy of PuckPedia.