When the Calgary Flames selected Zayne Parekh ninth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft, they knew they were getting a player with a bright future ahead of him. Since getting drafted, Parekh has been blowing the minds of Flames fans with how dynamic his play has been.
This season with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit, Parekh is on pace to achieve some big milestones. Not only is he on pace to record 100 points as a defenceman, but he’s also on watch to become the first defender in OHL history to have multiple 30-goal seasons. He currently has 26 goals and 74 points in 46 games.
With Parekh’s dominance at the junior level, questions have come up on whether he could potentially contend for a spot on the Flames’ blueline next season. Looking at his play, that is not that far of a reach, and the 18-year-old could very well be playing NHL games next season.
Parekh is too good for the OHL
The numbers don’t lie. Parekh is dominating with the Spirit and there’s a reason why his play has excited Flames fans. With the amount of offensive talent he has showcased at this age, who knows how large his celling truly is.
With that being said, is the OHL continuing to benefit his development? At this point, it seems Parekh may benefit from more of a challenge, but the NHL would be a big jump.
Due to Parekh’s age and CHL regulations, he isn’t eligible for AHL hockey yet. In a perfect world, Parekh joining the Wranglers would be a great next step for his development, and it would also act as a great test for his skills. If Parekh was drafted from a European club for example, he’d be playing AHL games by now.
Parekh making the Flames roster is not a reach
The NHL is really the only other league Parekh could play in besides the OHL at this time. While it would seem like the team is rushing him, Parekh himself would have to earn a spot through his play.
Honestly, it’s not a reach to think that Parekh potentially starts next season on the Flames’ roster. With how weak Calgary’s blueline is, him potentially contending for a spot in their bottom four is a real possibility, assuming he has a good training camp and preseason.
Not only do the Flames get younger if Parekh makes the team, but it would attract a lot more eyeballs to watch their best prospect getting NHL action. Even if he gets a small 5-10 game stint in the NHL, the experience of being an NHLer alone would be enriching for the young defender.
However, for this to happen, I feel Parekh would need to show significant progress in the defensive aspects of his game, which has been one of his struggles so far. Assuming he balances himself out a bit more, then he could be a strong contender for making the team out of training camp
Flames fans have big expectations
For a franchise that is starving for elite talent, Parekh is the beacon of hope that many Flames fans are looking for. The fact that he slid to ninth overall was surprising enough, and it gives hope that Parekh would be a good product that comes out of this retool the Flames are facilitating
Parekh’s skillset has been compared to many high-profile NHL defencemen such as Cale Makar and Quinn Hughes. Obviously those are huge names and if he develops into anything remotely close to Makar or Hughes, then that’s a huge win. But let’s not get too ahead of ourselves just yet.
The hope is Parekh continues to dominate the OHL, where he can eventually make a smooth transition towards professional hockey. The Flames aren’t exactly a team that is known for bad player development, so for Parekh, his play needs to dictate where he stands. If he’s shown enough for an NHL stint, so be it, but if not, the OHL will remain as a place where he is seen as a future star in emergence.
