Zayne Parekh has officially arrived! After his Saginaw Spirit bowed out of the OHL playoffs in five games last week, the Calgary Flames’ top prospect made his way to San Jose yesterday to join the team. He’ll join the team immediately at practice and will almost certainly play his first NHL game this season.
It’s very important for the Flames to treat Parekh with the utmost care and attention. This organization hasn’t had a player of his calibre since the spring of 2014 when Johnny Gaudreau signed his entry-level contract. Parekh is special and will be treated as such.
One of the most critical decisions will be who gets to line up next to Parekh when he enters the lineup. In my eyes, there are a couple options, but one stands out as the best.
Kevin Bahl is the best option to pair with Parekh
Kevin Bahl is really the only option to play next to Parekh, in my opinion.
Parekh is an offence-first right-shot defender who thrives when he’s carrying the puck and is allowed to be creative in the offensive zone and in transition. For him to succeed, he needs a player to complement that skillset as best as possible. Ideally, that player would be a defence-first, left-shot defender who can shut down opposing rushes and be a safety if Parekh decides to pinch or carry the puck deep in the offensive zone.
Bahl fits that description to a tee, and there really isn’t anyone else on the roster who does.
So far, Bahl has lined up next to Rasmus Andersson almost exclusively for the exact same reasons that make him a fit as Parekh’s future partner. Also, Bahl is only 25 years old himself, so he and Parekh could end up forming the Flames’ top pairing for the next decade. Why not start building that chemistry now?
Joel Hanley is option two
The other option is to split up the Mackenzie Weegar and Joel Hanley pairing and move Hanley next to Parekh. Hanley is a left-shot player with a lot of professional experience, so he does check a few boxes. He isn’t as much of a physical shutdown defender as Bahl, but he’s been fantastic next to another free-roaming defenceman in Weegar this season, so he might work next to Parekh, too.
Hanley is 31, and there is no guarantee he’s back with the Flames next season, so you’re probably not building any familiarity with a player who will be lining up next to Parekh long-term. However, it’s the dog days of a likely lost season, so why not give it a shot if the Bahl pairing doesn’t work right away?
How the rest of the defence would line up
It’s safe to say the players who will not be coming out of the lineup when Parekh is added in are Weegar, Andersson, and Bahl. There are no locks beyond those three, plus Parekh, which leaves two spots to fill. In all likelihood, Hanley is a long shot to come out, too, so that gives us one slot to play with.
Because Parekh is a right-shot, this probably means Bean has the upper hand staying in the lineup over Pachal as well. So, in either of the above scenarios, here’s how the Flames could line up.
Scenario 1: Bahl-Parekh
Hanley – Weegar
Bahl – Parekh
Bean – Andersson
Pachal
Scenario 2: Hanley-Parekh
Bean – Weegar
Bahl – Andersson
Hanley – Parekh
Pachal
Exciting times in YYC
The arrival of Parekh marks a major milestone in the history of the Flames franchise. All eyes will be glued to his debut, as Parekh no doubt has a chip on his shoulder and a ton of motivation to avenge his rough showing at training camp last fall.
