🚨 The Zayne Parekh show has arrived 🚨

[Hockey-and_stuff]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

It is very hard to draw conclusions from KHL numbers

The compelling thing about him is he’s huge and a very good skater

I wouldn’t write him off

While he's still young, I do question the thought process of taking a player who only excels at one part of the game in the top 10, especially if that thing is defending.

You can teach high end offense guys enough defense to get by typically, but if you don't have the brain or puck skills to put up numbers it severely limits your odds of carving out a top 4 role.



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[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Hockey-and_stuff

While he's still young, I do question the thought process of taking a player who only excels at one part of the game in the top 10, especially if that thing is defending.

You can teach high end offense guys enough defense to get by typically, but if you don't have the brain or puck skills to put up numbers it severely limits your odds of carving out a top 4 role.



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Again I think it's pre-mature to say he has no offense. Look at Chara's production in his pre-draft and post-draft years. Not saying he's Chara, but he does have the size and skating that is really unique.
Plus NJD have a LOT of offensive minded dmen already, both on their team and in the pipeline.

And I don't agree that you can teach high end offensive guys enough defense. Typically you are, at best, getting them to an adequate level. But NHL teams need shutdown D as well. And as they say - you can't teach size.

[Hockey-and_stuff]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Again I think it's pre-mature to say he has no offense. Look at Chara's production in his pre-draft and post-draft years. Not saying he's Chara, but he does have the size and skating that is really unique.

Plus NJD have a LOT of offensive minded dmen already, both on their team and in the pipeline.



And I don't agree that you can teach high end offensive guys enough defense. Typically you are, at best, getting them to an adequate level. But NHL teams need shutdown D as well. And as they say - you can't teach size.

Yes, I'm more questioning if it's the best idea to take a shutdown D with a top 10 pick where the best available talent typically lies.

I'm not very invested in "toolsy" type picks early when the more easily projectable talent is there to be taken.

It's my own opinion, but I'd rather have an elite guy like Hughes playing passable defense, than a shutdown guy who doesn't seem at this point to be able to move the puck particularly well.

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[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Hockey-and_stuff

Yes, I'm more questioning if it's the best idea to take a shutdown D with a top 10 pick where the best available talent typically lies.

I'm not very invested in "toolsy" type picks early when the more easily projectable talent is there to be taken.

It's my own opinion, but I'd rather have an elite guy like Hughes playing passable defense, than a shutdown guy who doesn't seem at this point to be able to move the puck particularly well.

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But you need both, and they already have the Hughes.

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Hockey-and_stuff

Yes, I'm more questioning if it's the best idea to take a shutdown D with a top 10 pick where the best available talent typically lies.

I'm not very invested in "toolsy" type picks early when the more easily projectable talent is there to be taken.

It's my own opinion, but I'd rather have an elite guy like Hughes playing passable defense, than a shutdown guy who doesn't seem at this point to be able to move the puck particularly well.

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Me too. Which is why I would have taken Buium over him because the overall package is just way more compelling.
Dickinson I'm less enthused about. I still see him more as a Hanifin type than anything (which is still great) but very similar to other D they have. I think Silayev brings a unique quality they don't have.

And I think there is a difference between saying he will have limited offensive production v. not being able to move the puck well.

That will be key. I don't know that he will put up a ton of points, but I do think he will be a fairly mobile d, who can also make a first pass out of the zone.

[Hockey-and_stuff]

Originally Posted by Enoch Root

But you need both, and they already have the Hughes.

I was talking about Quinn who they don't have but I understand your point.

To your other point, Silayev better pan out as an elite shutdown guy or picking him at 10OA isn't going to look good.

He's playing in a league I've never watched and I won't claim I know his game inside and out, but typically these low scoring behemoths don't pan out particularly well in the NHL, so if he succeeds he will be an exception to the norm, which is fine but I wouldn't count on it.

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[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Hockey-and_stuff

I was talking about Quinn who they don't have but I understand your point.

To your other point, Silayev better pan out as an elite shutdown guy or picking him at 10OA isn't going to look good.

He's playing in a league I've never watched and I won't claim I know his game inside and out, but typically these low scoring behemoths don't pan out particularly well in the NHL, so if he succeeds he will be an exception to the norm, which is fine but I wouldn't count on it.

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Again though you can't draw that conclusion from KHL stats.

For instance, in his draft year, he broke the leagues under 18 scoring record for most points. And not just for a D...for any player. More than Tarasenko, Kaprizov, or Kuznetzov.

But it was only 11 points in 63 games, and a lot of them came on an early season hot streak where he had a lot of bounces go his way.

He has enough offense that his KHL team plays him on the PP.

I'm not saying he's going to generate offense. I'm just saying we don't know, and you can't draw nearly as much from just looking at KHL stats.

I think there is a fan aversion to big dmen like him. But this guy is very unique. I think NHL teams are sometimes guilty of trying to find the "next Chara" but this guy is the closest to come along that actually could be similar to him. And Chara was a complete x-factor on the ice, including because of his immense wingspan, which Silayev also has. That is a huge advantage in defending because it takes away time and space. You basically make the ice smaller for the skilled players.

Either way we won't know for years. He's signed in the KHL for next season, and then after that he probably comes over.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Hockey-and_stuff

I was talking about Quinn who they don't have but I understand your point.

To your other point, Silayev better pan out as an elite shutdown guy or picking him at 10OA isn't going to look good.

He's playing in a league I've never watched and I won't claim I know his game inside and out, but typically these low scoring behemoths don't pan out particularly well in the NHL, so if he succeeds he will be an exception to the norm, which is fine but I wouldn't count on it.

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100%. It was a risky pick.

[Hockey-and_stuff]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

Again though you can't draw that conclusion from KHL stats.



For instance, in his draft year, he broke the leagues under 18 scoring record for most points. And not just for a D...for any player. More than Tarasenko, Kaprizov, or Kuznetzov.



But it was only 11 points in 63 games, and a lot of them came on an early season hot streak where he had a lot of bounces go his way.



He has enough offense that his KHL team plays him on the PP.



I'm not saying he's going to generate offense. I'm just saying we don't know, and you can't draw nearly as much from just looking at KHL stats.



I think there is a fan aversion to big dmen like him. But this guy is very unique. I think NHL teams are sometimes guilty of trying to find the "next Chara" but this guy is the closest to come along that actually could be similar to him. And Chara was a complete x-factor on the ice, including because of his immense wingspan, which Silayev also has. That is a huge advantage in defending because it takes away time and space. You basically make the ice smaller for the skilled players.



Either way we won't know for years. He's signed in the KHL for next season, and then after that he probably comes over.

I don't want you to think I'm drawing everyone off his offensive production. Byron Baders model uses historical data for players with his numbers from previous years to project a hit rate and it is not favourable to players of his archetype.

That being said if you are correct and he is indeed a unicorn these projections are bunk and he will definitely beat the model!

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[Jiri Hrdina]

Yeah not surprised that's what Bader's model shows. I really like Bader but the model certainly favors a certain type of player.

[Andrew]

Originally Posted by The Cobra

It's almost always about opportunity as much as skill.

Howard will get a great opportunity.

Parekh will likely get an opportunity to play (as opposed to going back to juniors), but Calgary isn't the most gifted offensive team. Look at Bouchard getting points on the Oilers. Opportunity and teammates, especially for dmen.

Whole heartedly agree but putting him as a favorite is a bit much... let's get to their heads more

Anyways just my opinion lol

[Calgary4LIfe]

It is funny looking back.


If Parekh = Karlsson, and Silayev = Chara, I would pick Chara every single time and it isn't even close.



I actually think it is going to be a lot more interesting than what people assume. I think Parekh is much closer to the Hughes/Makar type than the Karlsson/Bouchard type. In that case, I am picking Parekh, and I won't think twice. This was the big fear around Parekh - that he was basically the next Karlsson, which sounds great, but Karlsson doesn't win team trophies, only individual ones. Now I think Parekh is going to be an effective defencemen in all 3 zones. I don't think he will be a defensive stalwart by any means, but I also think he is going to be just fine most of the time and people aren't going to freak out with his turning pucks over all the time. I think he is going to be a much more complete defencemen with high end offensive production. That's a franchise-level defencemen.


SIlayev I thought wasn't a risky pick at all - it was the safe pick. I think he has a fairly high floor - he is already dominating against men at the KHL level. I think he is going to dominate at the NHL level too, but the only question that remains unanswered in my mind is how much offence will he be able to generate. It won't be nothing. The KHL is a notoriously stingy league when it comes to young players, especially defencemen (for example, you may think he didn't put up a lot of points in his draft year, but that broke the record for most points by a draft eligible, which was held by Tarasenko - a forward!). So his offensive ceiling isn't 'nothing'. How big of something is the question. I think he has a great shot still at becoming a franchise level D as well. I think given Parekh's focus on defence this past season, I am much more inclined to bet that Parekh will be the better and more important defencemen. I am just saying that nobody should be sleeping on Silayev either - kid might be something pretty special in his own right.

[Ba'alzamon]

2024 was, perhaps, an all-time great class for defensemen. I said prior to the draft that the class would account for at least five Norris Trophies, and that those five trophies would be split across no fewer than three players. Overly enthusiastic, maybe, but I don't think it's entirely unwarranted.

[bigrangy]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

It is funny looking back.


If Parekh = Karlsson, and Silayev = Chara, I would pick Chara every single time and it isn't even close.



I actually think it is going to be a lot more interesting than what people assume. I think Parekh is much closer to the Hughes/Makar type than the Karlsson/Bouchard type. In that case, I am picking Parekh, and I won't think twice. This was the big fear around Parekh - that he was basically the next Karlsson, which sounds great, but Karlsson doesn't win team trophies, only individual ones. .

Someone declaring a Karlsson floor for Parekh was not what I had on my bingo card today.

I know it’s not what you’ve literally said but this is definitely how it reads

No pressure on Zayne haha

[Winsor_Pilates]

Originally Posted by Calgary4LIfe

It is funny looking back.


If Parekh = Karlsson, and Silayev = Chara, I would pick Chara every single time and it isn't even close.



I actually think it is going to be a lot more interesting than what people assume. I think Parekh is much closer to the Hughes/Makar type than the Karlsson/Bouchard type. In that case, I am picking Parekh, and I won't think twice. This was the big fear around Parekh - that he was basically the next Karlsson, which sounds great, but Karlsson doesn't win team trophies, only individual ones. Now I think Parekh is going to be an effective defencemen in all 3 zones. I don't think he will be a defensive stalwart by any means, but I also think he is going to be just fine most of the time and people aren't going to freak out with his turning pucks over all the time. I think he is going to be a much more complete defencemen with high end offensive production. That's a franchise-level defencemen.


SIlayev I thought wasn't a risky pick at all - it was the safe pick. I think he has a fairly high floor - he is already dominating against men at the KHL level. I think he is going to dominate at the NHL level too, but the only question that remains unanswered in my mind is how much offence will he be able to generate. It won't be nothing. The KHL is a notoriously stingy league when it comes to young players, especially defencemen (for example, you may think he didn't put up a lot of points in his draft year, but that broke the record for most points by a draft eligible, which was held by Tarasenko - a forward!). So his offensive ceiling isn't 'nothing'. How big of something is the question. I think he has a great shot still at becoming a franchise level D as well. I think given Parekh's focus on defence this past season, I am much more inclined to bet that Parekh will be the better and more important defencemen. I am just saying that nobody should be sleeping on Silayev either - kid might be something pretty special in his own right.

Karlsson has been the best player on his team multiple times and completely carried the game through him.
I don't think putting him with Bouchard is fair.

People underrate how good peek Karlsson was; he has had seasons very similar to Hughes; just a longer career with ups and downs.

[Jason14h]

I think people don’t remember how good Karlsson was when he had an ankle bone

If Parekh is 80% that good we are laughing

[stemit14]

Originally Posted by Jason14h

I think people don’t remember how good Karlsson was when he had an ankle bone

If Parekh is 80% that good we are laughing

Yeah. His peak year with Ottawa and the playoff run with them, he was MVP quality.

[vilzeh]

Lmao, comparing him to Karlsson, yeah, I'd take that. He was the biggest factor they even were competing in the playoffs, they had Turris as #1 center, says a lot.

[Sandman]

Even if Silayev's offense doesn't follow him across the pond, he is still a solid shutdown D who can move the puck and contribute in all areas. Best of all, he's 6'7" and has the speed and agility of a 5'10" player- he wasn't a risky pick at all, and IMO was worthy of being a top-10 pick, as he will be a factor in his team winning games.

[jg13]

I'm far more confinced Silayev is a much closer comparable to Zadorov than Chara. There is no doubt in my mind I take Zayne or Buium over this guy 10/10 times.