Calgary Flames fans are very excited to see how Zayne Parekh has progressed since last year. One of the world’s most highly touted young defencemen is entering his second season with one of the league’s worst offensive teams. Another promising young offensive defenceman, Simon Nemec, has joined the team. Although great for the team and its future, it makes projecting Parekh’s usage a little more difficult. A player who was once practically guaranteed the PP1 quarterback spot may now be on the second unit, which would definitely affect his point production.
With a new season on the horizon, how many points do Flames fans think Zayne Parekh will finish with by the end of the year? We asked, you answered.
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How many points does Parekh end up with?
We presented the poll below to our readers.
40 points or more
This would be quite the jump in production for Parekh. Last season, he produced at a 20-point pace, which would mean he would at least double his production in this scenario. It’s been reported that Parekh has been in the gym and put on a good amount of weight. That should help him withstand the hits in the NHL a little better. On top of that, he seems like he’s got his confidence and swagger back. It wouldn’t be surprising to see him hit this point total; however, I do believe that he would need to get most of his power play time on the first unit. Whether that will happen or not is still to be seen.
30 points or more
With Nemec in the fold, I believe this is a more conservative prediction for Parekh. There is a chance that they may put both Nemec and Parekh on the first unit; however, I think for most of the year they will split them up. Nemec is a couple of years older, was a second overall pick, and has proved to the world that he belongs in the NHL at this point. Parekh still needs to prove that he is an NHLer through his on-ice play. Because of this, I would expect that they roll with Nemec on the top unit at least initially.
20 points or more
For this to happen, Parekh would have to replicate last year’s production. I personally can’t see this happening, as I believe he will take a step forward. Last season, both Mackenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson were above him in the offensive duties rankings for much of the year before they were traded. This season, there is no question that Nemec and Parekh will be the two relied on the most now.
Less than 20 points
This would be a really disappointing outcome. The good news is that practically nobody believes this will happen.
Much more responsibility
Parekh is going to be relied upon heavily this year to boost a weak offensive team. His role and responsibilities are guaranteed to increase from last season. As a result, don’t be surprised to see him take major steps in his development.
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