My biggest concern with putting Parekh in the NHL right away is that one scouting report I saw before the draft said he gets hit hard a lot and needs to keep his head up. The NHL game is so much faster and full of bigger, meaner players. I don't think there would be a shortage of dirty players waiting to take advantage of that. A lot of players gain significant strength and add weight in their D+1 year which is what I would like to see. I have no doubt that he could produce in the NHL, but development is more than just that.
Having said that, it was only one scouting report so I don't really know for sure, but I tend to take the side of caution and safety when putting teenagers into the NHL. Speaking of that, scouting reports seem all over the place regarding his skating. Some say he is an excellent skater, some say he needs to work on it to be an effective top 4 defenseman. From videos I have seen, he edgework and agility are fantastic, so is the knock speed or something?
__________________
"A pessimist thinks things can't get any worse. An optimist knows they can."
|