Prospect Info: 2024 Draft, 9th Overall, Zayne Parekh

[Kingpin794]

Not at all. Knights won the OHL which is a better achievement than a week long tournament.

I don’t like players that dive and pretend to be injured to draw calls. He was also suspended for spitting on a player. He’s a real class act.

This is another thing he brings. He will get under the skin of opponents. Enough so that they even get themselves kicked out of the last game of the season because he aggravates them so much.

 

[Nanuuk]

He's a RHS LD.

No he is an RD that shifted over to LD.

 

[Fig]

No he is an RD that shifted over to LD.

I thought he's stated he prefers LD?

 

[Lunatik]

No he is an RD that shifted over to LD.

No. He's a RHD that prefers LD, he can play either but is better at LD.

I thought he's stated he prefers LD?

He has, you are correct.

 

[Brock]

More info on Parekh for you.

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[Dack]

I wrote out a long post about how good Parekh is before the page crashed on my phone and deleted it. I was surprised to see the disappointed reaction in here when the Flames took him yesterday. Parekh is who I would have picked if given the same board the Flames had.

I wrote this about him when ranking the prospects I thought would be avaliable at the Flames pick:


"2. Zayne Parekh

No denying that if there's one thing the Flames have enough of it's offensive D-men prospects. Poirier, Brustewicz and Morin are all offensive oriented D-men from the last 3 drafts. So for that reason I won't be upset if we don't pick Parekh but I think he's got the highest offensive potential of the D-men in this draft by quite a bit. I think the guys we currently have in our system are guys with offensive upside who could QB a powerplay one day but I don't know that any of them are the total package offensively that Parekh is. I think it's more likely that they turn into something closer to Sean Durzi or Erik Gustaffson rather than a real game changer offensively. Of the three, Poirier is closest IMO but I think Parekh is a good bit better at passing and puck movement. I don't really know what to compare him to, I think the Makar comparisons are too much, but I do think he has elite offensive potential. Maybe post-ACL Erik Karlsson? Still dynamic and a game changer offensively but weaker defensively and not one of the best skaters in the world.

I also don't think his defense is as bad as advertised. I've seen him make some very good reads and break ups it's more about consistency. He's also one of those guys who looks kind of nonchalant so when he does mess up it looks BAD. Hopefully no longer being injured and maybe a real system that doesn't rely so heavily on him for offense improves things."

I had Catton ranked #1 but I don't think Parekh's upside is any lower. I just think Catton is a bit more of a sure thing. Silayev being avaliable doesn't change their ranks for me.

I think the bottom line is that this was a home run swing at a player with massive upside. Parekh isn't good offensively, he's elite. Elite prospects called him "the best offensive D-man prospect since 2018". He can create offense anywhere on the ice. He's an elite seam passer, has a fantastic shot with a deceptive release, great edge work and good hands.

Overall I get why some preferred Buium, Dickinson or Silayev. I liked all of them and would have been fine with any of them but I think the Flames made the right choice betting on the dude with the huge ceiling.

 

[tfong]

Like.

Asian and high octane offense.

Like again.

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

Didn’t love this pick immediately.
After an hour, still don’t love it. We’ll see.

Probably 2-4 years from playing in the league anyway.

Parekh is very likely to get nine games this year, and I would be astonished if he’s not a full time NHLer for 25/26.

This is the best prospect the Flames have drafted since Tkachuk.

His draft year production has been neck and neck with Quinn Hughes’ D+1.

Flames got a franchise cornerstone at 9. Take the W.

 

[Ace Rimmer]

This guy's sounding more and more like if Matty Tkachuk played defense.

 

[Fig]

This guy's sounding more and more like if Matty Tkachuk played defense.

He needs to learn the in between leg snipe shot to complete it.

 

[User1996]

Isa, Zayne’s brother will also be attending development camp

 

[joescores]

I was a bit sceptical at first but getting to like this pick more and more by day- reading about him. What I do like is also his mean facial structure. I think he will be a beast at the age of 22 already

 

[Bounces R Way]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1807134521957241061

When I was watching live I swear I heard Connie say "The Calgary Flames are plowed to select at number 9.. Zayne Parekh"

 

[Nanuuk]

I thought he's stated he prefers LD?

Maybe, but he came up as an RD I believe.

He is solid on both.

 

[ESH]

This selection feels like Andersson is out the door

I don’t see any reason why that would be

 

[Tkachuk Norris]

I was a bit sceptical at first but getting to like this pick more and more by day- reading about him. What I do like is also his mean facial structure. I think he will be a beast at the age of 22 already

 

[joescores]

View attachment 890422

Doesn't he look mean to 3 of you chumps?

 

[Mitts]

I highly recommend this Q&A with Zayne, a reporter scrum at the combine. Kid comes across as super genuine and humble.

 

[Bounces R Way]

I highly recommend this Q&A with Zayne, a reporter scrum at the combine. Kid comes across as super genuine and humble.

Glad to hear he knows he needs to get to the gym and get his weight and strength up.

Graduating high school at 15 is pretty nuts but being a 7 handicap and shooting a round of 78 before the age of 19 when it's not even your primary sport is crazy. I've been golfing for a decade+ and only have a couple rounds where I broke 80

 

[Mitts]

Glad to hear he knows he needs to get to the gym and get his weight and strength up.

Graduating high school at 15 is pretty nuts but being a 7 handicap and shooting a round of 78 before the age of 19 when it's not even your primary sport is crazy. I've been golfing for a decade+ and only have a couple rounds where I broke 80

100% agree, kids a smart cookie and seems pretty self aware. His golf skills are crazy though, and to think one of his brothers is even better than him, athletically gifted family.

 

[Anglesmith]

Glad to hear he knows he needs to get to the gym and get his weight and strength up.

Graduating high school at 15 is pretty nuts but being a 7 handicap and shooting a round of 78 before the age of 19 when it's not even your primary sport is crazy. I've been golfing for a decade+ and only have a couple rounds where I broke 80

For context, I shot a 79 (round of my life) when I was 18. I had unlimited golf for the summer on a dirt cheap junior membership, so I played pretty much every day and brought my score down like 20 strokes.

If you do something regularly at that age, I think it's much faster and easier to get good than as an adult. Especially if you have high athletic ability in the first place, which he obviously does as an athlete.

I hope his intelligence translates into aggressively pursuing areas where he needs to improve. Could be a very special player for us.

 

[Lunatik]

For context, I shot a 79 (round of my life) when I was 18. I had unlimited golf for the summer on a dirt cheap junior membership, so I played pretty much every day and brought my score down like 20 strokes.

If you do something regularly at that age, I think it's much faster and easier to get good than as an adult. Especially if you have high athletic ability in the first place, which he obviously does as an athlete.

I hope his intelligence translates into aggressively pursuing areas where he needs to improve. Could be a very special player for us.

I once played a round with @Ace Rimmer but all I did was wreck my knee and get a nasty sunburn

 

[Rubi]

It cracks me up when I see an 18 year old kid talking about his single digit golf handicap. I never started playing golf until I was an adult earning my own money. As a teenager if I had asked my parents to buy me clubs and a membership they would have looked at me like I was insane and asked me what world I thought I was living in. Only kids from upper middle class and higher homes played golf in the summer. I definitely didn't grow up in one of those families. Baseball, fishing, and doing stuff I probably shouldn't have been doing were my summer sports.

 

[joescores]

It cracks me up when I see an 18 year old kid talking about his single digit golf handicap. I never started playing golf until I was an adult earning my own money. As a teenager if I had asked my parents to buy me clubs and a membership they would have looked at me like I was insane and asked me what world I thought I was living in. Only kids from upper middle class and higher homes played golf in the summer. I definitely didn't grow up in one of those families. Baseball, fishing, and doing stuff I probably shouldn't have been doing were my summer sports.

You are a good kid Rubi! Fishing is amazing, to hell with golf if we can fish

 

[Bond]

It cracks me up when I see an 18 year old kid talking about his single digit golf handicap. I never started playing golf until I was an adult earning my own money. As a teenager if I had asked my parents to buy me clubs and a membership they would have looked at me like I was insane and asked me what world I thought I was living in. Only kids from upper middle class and higher homes played golf in the summer. I definitely didn't grow up in one of those families. Baseball, fishing, and doing stuff I probably shouldn't have been doing were my summer sports.

Most hockey players are from upper middle class families now