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

[Dack]

I went to the Saginaw Spirit vs Niagara Ice Dogs game tonight. I live 5 minutes from the arena.
Ice Dogs dominated. They won 8-2. Got to see Zayne play. I liked his game, he's a very good skater, played both sides of D, was on PP1 and on the PK.
He didn't get too involved offensively, I don't think he was on the ice for many of the Dogs goals, I'd have to check the stats. I went in saying he's still young, still learning, still has a ways to go. Saginaw just didn't have much to show tonight, but Misa stood out, he looked really good.
Going to post a couple of pics.

He actually wasn't on the ice for any of the Ice Dogs goals. +2 on the night, wasn't even on the ice for the powerplay goals against. I watched the game replay now, Saginaw kind of got rag dolled. It happens to them somewhat frequently, their defensemen are very leaky and their forwards (while skilled) are very small so I think they struggle to maintain possession in the offensive zone which sucks for a D-man like Parekh who loves to create in the O-zone. Usually he's able to get more involved than he was tonight but the Ice Dogs were just in total control this game.

One cool thing about tonight was that prior to this game the Spirit made a deadline deal that sent away their former captain and an alternate captain. Misa was given the C and Parekh was given an A.

 

[Bounces R Way]

my man

 

[Haatley]

Hat trick and 5 points tonight.

And became franchise leader in points by a defenceman. Yep. He's good.

 

[CaviarAndRinkFries]

 

[JPeeper]

After a slowish start he's been piling up the points lately and is close to getting back to his pace he was at last year. If we keeps going like this he could even surpass it and eclipse 100 points which would be incredible. Still think he's got a couple more years left before cracking the NHL line up.

 

[Kingpin794]

After a slowish start he's been piling up the points lately and is close to getting back to his pace he was at last year. If we keeps going like this he could even surpass it and eclipse 100 points which would be incredible. Still think he's got a couple more years left before cracking the NHL line up.

He's not getting to 100. He would need 49 points in 27 games. That's a 123 pt full season pace. There's kind of a limit to what a defenseman can produce. There's a reason Ryan Ellis is the only player to get 100 pts as a defenseman in the OHL in like the past 25 or more years. He should finish in the high 80's to low 90's which would be amazing considering this year's team is no where near as good. It's the first line carrying a ton of the weight. Plus all of December was essentially a right off for the team due to suspensions/injuries. Great that he's keeping pace with last season. Agree he'll still need another year in the OHL and one in the AHL before he's ready ready.

 

[joescores]

He is defo gonna get 100, another 3 points today...

 

[crackdown44]

Another hat trick lol

 

[Iggys Dome]

Alright so what's this guys floor, I know his ceiling is a Hughes/Karlsson type, but on the chance he doesn't reach that, what do we expect him to bottom out as? 2nd pairing PP specialist?

 

[Lunatik]

Alright so what's this guys floor, I know his ceiling is a Hughes/Karlsson type, but on the chance he doesn't reach that, what do we expect him to bottom out as? 2nd pairing PP specialist?

An y elmore

 

[joescores]

15 points in that last 5. Guy is a stud.

 

[crackdown44]

I'm not really up to date on who is eligible for what with all the changes happening across the CHL, but I wouldn't mind seeing him play NCAA or pro in Europe next year, feel like he doesn't really have anything else to prove at the junior level. He can't go AHL right? I imagine eventually that rule will change as well

 

[Yepthatsme]

He's not getting to 100. He would need 49 points in 27 games. That's a 123 pt full season pace. There's kind of a limit to what a defenseman can produce. There's a reason Ryan Ellis is the only player to get 100 pts as a defenseman in the OHL in like the past 25 or more years. He should finish in the high 80's to low 90's which would be amazing considering this year's team is no where near as good. It's the first line carrying a ton of the weight. Plus all of December was essentially a right off for the team due to suspensions/injuries. Great that he's keeping pace with last season. Agree he'll still need another year in the OHL and one in the AHL before he's ready ready.

He has 44 points in his last 24 games. He’s already producing at the rate you said wasn’t reasonable.

Alright so what's this guys floor, I know his ceiling is a Hughes/Karlsson type, but on the chance he doesn't reach that, what do we expect him to bottom out as? 2nd pairing PP specialist?

40-50 points a year, 2nd pair guy who needs to be carried extremely hard in a lot of aspects by his partner. Does most of his damage on the powerplay. Better Erik Gustafsson practically.

I'm not really up to date on who is eligible for what with all the changes happening across the CHL, but I wouldn't mind seeing him play NCAA or pro in Europe next year, feel like he doesn't really have anything else to prove at the junior level. He can't go AHL right? I imagine eventually that rule will change as well

He signed his ELC so NCAA is out of the question regardless of how the new rules play out.

 

[Kingpin794]

He has 44 points in his last 24 games. He’s already producing at the rate you said wasn’t reasonable.

I will be absolutely delighted to be wrong on this one if he pulls it off.

 

[JPeeper]

I'm not really up to date on who is eligible for what with all the changes happening across the CHL, but I wouldn't mind seeing him play NCAA or pro in Europe next year, feel like he doesn't really have anything else to prove at the junior level. He can't go AHL right? I imagine eventually that rule will change as well

Someone pointed it out in the Parekh prospect thread on the main boards, but he can't go to the NCAA next year because he signed his ELC last off-season. It's NHL or back to the CHL next year which sucks because I don't think he's NHL ready yet, but playing in the CHL again is such a waste. Guy is going to put up back to back ~100 point seasons as a d-man, he's wasting away in the CHL. Only real positive is he'll be a huge part of Team Canada juniors next year unless we bring a bunch of biased dipshits to run the team again.

 

[Zirakzigil]

Someone pointed it out in the Parekh prospect thread on the main boards, but he can't go to the NCAA next year because he signed his ELC last off-season. It's NHL or back to the CHL next year which sucks because I don't think he's NHL ready yet, but playing in the CHL again is such a waste. Guy is going to put up back to back ~100 point seasons as a d-man, he's wasting away in the CHL. Only real positive is he'll be a huge part of Team Canada juniors next year unless we bring a bunch of biased dipshits to run the team again.

He might get a few games with the Flames to start, but barring a shocking preseason, hes going back to the CHL. He still has a lot to learn about playing a 200ft game. Hes likely going to play a year in the AHL and parts of a 2nd year in the AHL as well. Hes an exciting kid. But defensemen are sooo fickle developing. Too bad in 2 years Makar will be a Flame and on that top pairing spot.

 

[crackdown44]

Someone pointed it out in the Parekh prospect thread on the main boards, but he can't go to the NCAA next year because he signed his ELC last off-season. It's NHL or back to the CHL next year which sucks because I don't think he's NHL ready yet, but playing in the CHL again is such a waste. Guy is going to put up back to back ~100 point seasons as a d-man, he's wasting away in the CHL. Only real positive is he'll be a huge part of Team Canada juniors next year unless we bring a bunch of biased dipshits to run the team again.

Keep him and shelter the hell out of him

 

[Lunatik]

I'm not really up to date on who is eligible for what with all the changes happening across the CHL, but I wouldn't mind seeing him play NCAA or pro in Europe next year, feel like he doesn't really have anything else to prove at the junior level. He can't go AHL right? I imagine eventually that rule will change as well

I dunno, he could prove himself to be reliably defensively

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

He might get a few games with the Flames to start, but barring a shocking preseason, hes going back to the CHL. He still has a lot to learn about playing a 200ft game. Hes likely going to play a year in the AHL and parts of a 2nd year in the AHL as well. Hes an exciting kid. But defensemen are sooo fickle developing. Too bad in 2 years Makar will be a Flame and on that top pairing spot.

I don't see why he can't make the NHL next year. We saw both Chicago and Anaheim bring in Korchinski and Mintyukov quickly. Korchinski in particular played the whole season on the Hawks last year and started in the AHL this year when he was eligible. They basically stapled him to Jones and just let him play. I think doing the same thing for Parekh with Weegar would be fine

 

[Yepthatsme]

I don't see why he can't make the NHL next year. We saw both Chicago and Anaheim bring in Korchinski and Mintyukov quickly. Korchinski in particular played the whole season on the Hawks last year and started in the AHL this year when he was eligible. They basically stapled him to Jones and just let him play. I think doing the same thing for Parekh with Weegar would be fine

Korchinsky would then go on to have the 2nd worst plus/minus and the 13th worst xGA/60 in the entire NHL amongst defenseman, having to pull the puck out of his own net a stunning 69 times just at 5v5 despite receiving a relatively stellar .907 goaltending while he was on the ice.

And let me tell you, Parekh would be worse defensively. Let’s not set him up for failure unless he takes massive strides this off-season and looks like he deserves it in pre-season/early games next year.

 

[Dack]

I have a hard time seeing Parekh as NHL ready defensively next year, he has games and stretches where he defends well but it's inconsistent at this point. That's not a big deal, he turns 19 next month.

Obviously that changes if he makes huge strides this offseason but as it stands now I'd be open to having him make his NHL debut, maybe play his 9 games and then go back to junior.

The # of players (let alone Defensemen) who should be in the NHL at 19 is basically zero. Anaheim and Chicago to a lesser extent, just love to graduate anybody with a pulse.

 

[Darth Vladar]

I have a hard time seeing Parekh as NHL ready defensively next year, he has games and stretches where he defends well but it's inconsistent at this point. That's not a big deal, he turns 19 next month.

Obviously that changes if he makes huge strides this offseason but as it stands now I'd be open to having him make his NHL debut, maybe play his 9 games and then go back to junior.

The # of players (let alone Defensemen) who should be in the NHL at 19 is basically zero. Anaheim and Chicago to a lesser extent, just love to graduate anybody with a pulse.

Almost exactly two years younger than Insane Lane. Their birthdays are a day apart.

 

[Ledge And Dairy]

Korchinsky would then go on to have the 2nd worst plus/minus and the 13th worst xGA/60 in the entire NHL amongst defenseman, having to pull the puck out of his own net a stunning 69 times just at 5v5 despite receiving a relatively stellar .907 goaltending while he was on the ice.

And let me tell you, Parekh would be worse defensively. Let’s not set him up for failure unless he takes massive strides this off-season and looks like he deserves it in pre-season/early games next year.

So your solution is waste another year in the OHL? He's not learning anything there. Playing him with Weegar would be the best way to shelter him and for him to learn defense

 

[Lunatik]

So your solution is waste another year in the OHL? He's not learning anything there. Playing him with Weegar would be the best way to shelter him and for him to learn defense

He has a lot to learn there, he may not learn more offensively, but defensively he sure as f*** can.

And playing him top 4 is the opposite of sheltering him.

 

[Bounces R Way]

It's a really dumb rule that he can't play in the AHL next season. For these lower affiliated leagues what's best for the player should be coming first, always.

Like imagine if he actually scores 100pts this season and his next move as a skinny 19 year old dman is either the NHL or CHL.