The Calgary Flames have just had one of their best drafts in recent memory. The 2024 NHL Entry Draft in Las Vegas was headlined by the San Jose Sharks selecting franchise centerman Macklin Celebrini first overall. After that, the draft was quite unpredictable as many shocking picks were made.
When the Flames had the ninth overall selection, the consensus was that they would select the best player available. Many Flames fans had Tij Iginla on their radar, and Berkly Catton (who they also liked) would be taken by the time Calgary went on the stage. The Flames were left with a selection of intriguing defensemen to take at ninth. Names such as Sam Dickinson, Zayne Parekh, and Zeev Buium were all available names projected to go in the top 15. The Flames ended up going with the best player available in Parekh which made Flames fans very happy.
Playing for the Saginaw Spirit of the OHL, Parekh had a monster year on the blue line. His elite offensive skills propelled him to lead all OHL defenders in points with 96. On top of that, he scored 33 goals which is just unbelievable production for his position. His play was also strong in the postseason as he had 11 points in 13 playoff games, and contributed towards the Spirit winning their first-ever Memorial Cup.
Parekh Likely To Become Next Face Of Flames’ Blueline
It’s safe to say that the future for the Flames’ blueline is very bright. Their defense pipeline now consists of Parekh, Hunter Brzustewicz, Henry Mews, and Jeremie Poirier. Brzustewicz finished second in scoring for defensemen behind Parekh with 92 points, and both are now a part of the Flames’ prospect pool.
It’s impressive that in a couple of months, the Flames have added substantial talent to their organization. As for Parekh, getting him ninth overall was an amazing selection as he was projected to go higher in many professional mock drafts, such as in the top five.
Being a right-shot defender with so much offensive skill, Parekh is very likely to become an elite player for the Flames. His strengths include his high hockey IQ, strong shot, playmaking, puck handling, and skating. According to the scouting source Hockey Prospecting, Parekh has an 89% chance of being an NHLer and an 84% chance of being a star. His potential has been compared with defenders such as Quinn Hughes, Cale Makar, and Adam Fox, who are all top defensemen in the league today. That is high praise indeed.
No player is perfect and Parekh has received his fair share of criticism regarding his play. Parekh’s play has been criticized as lacking awareness towards the defensive zone and at times displaying low effort through “lackadaisical play”. With that being said, these criticisms are common among young players as Parekh is only 18 years old. He’ll still need time to mature as a player and as a human being, and his strengths heavily outweigh his weaknesses. As he makes his way toward professional hockey, he’ll have the opportunity to work with mentors who have been in his position before.
There’s No Need To Rush Parekh’s Development
All prospects go through learning curves and Parekh is no exception. He’ll have his struggles and his hardships, but that’s just the reality of being a professional hockey player. His skill set is an exciting addition to the Flames’ system and Parekh instantly becomes Calgary’s best prospect. His projections might tempt some to believe that he’ll get NHL action sooner rather than later, but this may not be the case.
One of the worst ways to ruin a young player’s development is to rush them into environments too quickly. Obviously, many prospects are deemed NHL-ready as soon as they’re drafted but for Parekh’s case, his flaws would be heavily exposed at the professional level.
Therefore, the Flames are not in a spot to throw Parekh to the wolves. There’s a very good chance that he makes his way into the NHL soon, but for now, they need to prioritize his development. Facilitating a smooth transition from junior to professional hockey is crucial for how this plays out. If I were to guess what happens, I’d think that Parekh will spend the majority of the 2024-25 season in juniors, with the potential to go to the AHL if the opportunity comes.
There’s also the possibility Parekh makes the Flames’ roster directly out of training camp, but this is unlikely. Despite the Flames’ weaknesses on the blue line, there’s no reason to rush a newly drafted 18-year-old into the NHL playing against superstars. Even if he gets a small stint with the Flames, this is likely to happen towards the end of the season. Looking at the paths of other prospects such as Dustin Wolf and Matt Coronato, the Flames are likely to give Parekh all the time he needs to adjust to pro hockey.
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