[Sandman]

More Draft Thoughts:

It's a Draft year for big-time D, and perhaps the most electrifying of the 2024 crop is 6'0",181lb righty, Zayne Parekh- who is dominating the OHL with the Saginaw Spirit, amassing an incredible 74 points in just 49 games. Those numbers put him on pace to reach 100 points, which would be the most by a draft-eligible defenseman since Ryan Ellis in 2008-09, who had 89 points in 57 games. Another impressive stat is Parekh's 21 goals in 2022-23, which set an OHL record for goals by a 16 year-old blueliner. Watching him at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup, he looked very one-dimensional to me, and was trying to do too much on his own away from the team- abandoning the team concept a bit in favor of a pond-hockey style, while turning over the puck, and missing the net many times. It would appear that the coaches saw things they didn't like as well, as his ice-time was often sporadic to say the least- as low as 8:40 against Slovakia, and only 17:20 in the Gold Medal game against Czechia, which went almost a full period into OT. More ice-time and responsibility was given to players like Sam Dickinson, Charlie Elick, Frankie Marrelli, and Henry Mews. Still, he ended up tied for second on team Canada in points from the blueline, with Dickinson and Marrelli, putting up a respectable 3 points in 5 games. Parekh leads Saginaw in scoring by an incredible 17 points currently.
Obviously, Parekh is an elite offensive defenseman, who is uber aggressive, with a relentless attack mentality. He's a high octane machine, but most of the components of his game are less than dynamic, other than his brain, and the confidence he has in his skills. He's a fluid skater in all directions- not elite, but well above average with smooth edges and agility. His exceptional vision and instincts make him dangerous at all times, and he's a threat when either passing or shooting. He's always got his next few options mapped out due to his quick processing speed, but can problem-solve on the fly. On the PP, he's the ideal quarterback, and likes to run the offense from the blueline where he walks the line with his head up to identify lanes as they open, in order to exploit them with a high-danger pass. Quite often, he will create off the rush like a forward, and has no problem activating to the slot, or to the net-front, as he's an excellent finisher. His passes are crisp and hard, often tape-to-tape, and laced with plenty of deception in his hips, head, and feet to misdirect opponents, along with a multitude of fakes, look-offs, and dekes. His shot is another above-average tool- it's hard and accurate with a stunning release, and his wrister has a good whip that he can pick corners with. He can get the puck on net through traffic, and it's another nice weapon to have on the PP. Parekh has excellent puck skills, but his stickhandling is said to be in need of refinement- he can sometimes be lackadaisical, and lose control. Still, he can spearhead the rush, driving the play northward up the ice, or he will transition using give-and-go's- once he touches the puck in the defensive zone, he's off to the races. He can also make a clean first-pass, or connect on a stretch pass to further push the pace. Once in the zone, he will put defenders on their heels by activating into the play with regularity. The confidence and swagger he displays with the puck is one of his best assets, and elevates his offensive game, as he's never afraid to try anything in order to get on the board, and he stays calm and poised under pressure.
Parekh has a strong work-ethic, with high motor and tenaciousness. He's not overly strong, but will engage physically, and battle for pucks. He doesn't get credit for the sandpaper in his game- he's known to be a pest and an agitator, who likes to get under the skin of his opponents, with a ton of action between whistles, and some trash talk. He was suspended 2 games for his actions post-whistle against Kingston on January 12th (I think he may have spit on somebody, but I'm not sure), so he could use more restraint- he's known to lose his temper sometimes.
The opinions on Parekh's defensive contributions vary a bit, depending on which game of his is being watched, but it's pretty unanimous that his effort can wane shift-to-shift, his off-puck game is lacking in the defensive zone, and his awareness is deficient. He often cheats for offense, and his gap-control, decision-making, and positioning need work. He's a bit slight, so he can lose battles to bigger players, and sometimes struggles to defend the net-front, so he needs to get a lot stronger. There's work to do to get more explosive, and increase the power in his shot. In the other end of the rink, he often tries to do too much by himself, and will hold on to pucks for too long, causing dangerous turnovers. In summary, Parekh is a high risk/high reward player, who may be one dimensional, but it's a HELL of a dimension.