Quote:
Originally Posted by sch19lks
I didn’t watch today, but I’ve seen Parekh a decent amount living in Ontario. People saying he has nothing left to prove in the O need to realize that his defensive game needs a lot of work. Which is totally fine, but I think it’s the wrong decision to have him learn that part of his game in the NHL. Send him back to the Ontario league and tell him to work on his defensive game. His hockey IQ is off the charts, I’m not worried about him making that adjustment. I just think the NHL is the wrong place for him to do that.
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You don't need a defensive game to play in the NHL. Evan Bouchard just proved that this year.
The only question is if Parekh is physically developed enough to handle an NHL forecheck. I wouldn't want to Justin Schultz Circa YEG him into losing his confidence if the physical toll is too much. But I do think overcooking is artificial and with teammates like Weegar, Backlund, Zary, Coleman, Sharangovich and Kadri he would still be well supported on his side of the red line.
If he earns a spot, it should be his. Period. He can learn to defend just as well with Connor McDavid or Nathan MacKinnon flying through the middle as he would going through the motions in junior.