There was a thought provoking discussion on Barn Burner around Parekh and how he should be handled. it sounds like there were comments in a recent Wranglers scrum from Parekh about a "messed up" season. Kent brings up the point that he is an unconventional talent who probably requires unconventional treatment and a bit of leeway to make mistakes, because he isn't like other d-men.
Obviously you want him to fit into the structure of the rest of the team, but at the same time if you try to tame the fierceness out of the tiger per se, you risk it coming at the cost of those aspects of his game that make him special.
Does Huska need to make an exception in his approach for Zayne when he comes back (7D/11F), or at least a employ a greater tolerance towards his risk-taking style of game?
Or are these issues just overstated and patience is all that's needed?
Can the coach/the Flames walk that tightrope of working with this player since the AHL isn't an option this year and help him find success without losing his confidence along the way?
Because if they need him to be less of what he naturally is, then (as Robert aptly puts it here) why did you draft him in the first place?
There's been no love lost from fans, that's for sure. I think we're all excited for this kid and just want to see him play and succeed..
Last edited by TrentCrimmIndependent; 01-20-2026 at 01:40 AM.
They should have left him in junior for another year like what typically happens with players not NHL ready and not eligible for the AHL. That's the only reason why it's tricky now. If you shelter him and scratch him too much, it probably hurts his confidence, but if you play him and he gets dominated and physically punished, that doesn't help him either (plus there is an added injury risk).
He has a lot of work to do and in a perfect world, he'd be doing it with the Wranglers, which I think is probably the plan next season. I predict he will go down there for at least half a season.
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They should have left him in junior for another year like what typically happens with players not NHL ready and not eligible for the AHL. That's the only reason why it's tricky now. If you shelter him and scratch him too much, it probably hurts his confidence, but if you play him and he gets dominated and physically punished, that doesn't help him either (plus there is an added injury risk).
He has a lot of work to do and in a perfect world, he'd be doing it with the Wranglers, which I think is probably the plan next season. I predict he will go down there for at least half a season.
Agreed with FA above. Should have left him in junior. He is not physically or mentally ready for the NHL, and that's not his fault, the issue is his birthday. So what if he went back and scored 140 pts, his confidence skyrockets and he grows a bit more into his body. Next year he is off to the AHL. He should 100% be given free reign to improvise in the O Zone, but he still needs to play some D without getting crushed by 220pd forwards.
Is all moot now, he will be mostly stapled to the bench in favour of PPs and OZone starts
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Once the stint is over bring him up and start playing him.
With Anderson out and Gridin up we have a lot more to be excited about. Now should be the time of the season where they see what they have in the kids and let them make some mistakes and not have them eat popcorn for a few games.
Now is the time to lean into the bad season and see what the kids can do while seeing the draft spot solidify itself in the top 5
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Sheltered 3rd pairing minutes, maybe a 1/3 split with Pachal or something. I see value in him being with the team, the practices. There's nothing else to prove in the OHL, we saw that in the WJ. Let him make mistakes in the NHL. Then, starting next season, he is a full time AHLer. Have him ready for the 2027-2028 season.
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Or he’s just not ready to play against men. He needs to put on 15 lbs of muscle.
I don’t think that’s going to happen. He’s pretty built up now. He might gain another 5 lbs but I doubt it. It’s like telling Johnny Gaudreau or that defenceman in Minnesota to put on more muscle. They aren’t built that way so people should probably stop thinking about that.
And having said all this I hear Hughes is injured now? Some of these super talented players just aren’t built to take big hits and there’s not a lot you can do about it. They just have to learn to avoid contact. Pretty hard for defencemen.
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Originally Posted by Vinny01
Once the stint is over bring him up and start playing him.
With Anderson out and Gridin up we have a lot more to be excited about. Now should be the time of the season where they see what they have in the kids and let them make some mistakes and not have them eat popcorn for a few games.
Now is the time to lean into the bad season and see what the kids can do while seeing the draft spot solidify itself in the top 5
Problem is, I’m not sure he is physically ready for pro hockey yet. Seems to be a little injury prone due to his frame at the moment
With the way the year has gone, perhaps junior is how to finish things off. Then recuperate/bulk up in the summer and start fresh next year
The Flames' handling/plan for Zayne Parekh..
