Parekh named OHL defenseman of the month.....again.

[shutout]

Originally Posted by Samonadreau

^ They need to be able to make exemptions for players like Parekh to go to the A after dominating 2 straight years in Junior. It would be a mistake in IMO to put him in the NHL next season.

Or better yet they need to make the same cutoff dates for the draft eligibility and AHL eligibility to be the same.
You should be able to play in the AHL in your draft plus two year.
How some plays can and others cant because of different cutoff dates does not make any sense.

[Enoch Root]

Originally Posted by Hot_Flatus

There's no linear path and if he goes back it isn't the end of the world. High picks like Schiefle and Kadri (albeit forwards) went back and/or down a couple times and it worked out just fine. Parekh was a long way off last fall. If he's closed the gap even 30-50% closer to where he needs to be, he will likely make the team.

I don't think you handle a player like him with the intention of playing on the third pair in a role that doesn't suit his game. He's here to play as an offensive, dynamic player and trying to repress that with reduced minutes and marching orders seems highly counter productive and potentially harmful simply to get him into the NHL.

Sheltered third pairing minutes doesn't mean no offense - think of a role like Barrie has had this year.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by Bingo

Feels like that pick just keeps getting better and better and it was pretty damn great to start with.

Not sure why any hockey fan would be able to pick what's best for an individual player? Every player develops at a different pace, and in different ways, and are in different situations.

19 of Zaynes 27 goals are even strength. 7 more the next highest Dman. The rest of the league, most defensemen are in single digits for even strength goals.

Luca marelli has 12 even strength and Dickinson and Aitcheson have 10 (Mews has 8).

What Parekh is doing is unprecedented from what I can see. (although Brandt Clarkes 20 year old season is also a huge anomaly, but Zayne turns 19 tomorrow, so he is doing it at a much younger age (almost exactly 1 year younger)). Clarkes 18/19 year old season was nothing compared to Zaynes current 18/19 year old season.

Ryan Ellis, in his best year, still only had 14 even strength goals. He is the only player in the modern era to do what Parekh is currently doing, and he didn't even reach these heights.

[Enoch Root]

Unprecedented?

[HighLifeMan]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

19 of Zaynes 27 goals are even strength. 7 more the next highest Dman. The rest of the league, most defensemen are in single digits for even strength goals.

Luca marelli has 12 even strength and Dickinson and Aitcheson have 10 (Mews has 8).

What Parekh is doing is unprecedented from what I can see. (although Brandt Clarkes 20 year old season is also a huge anomaly, but Zayne turns 19 tomorrow, so he is doing it at a much younger age (almost exactly 1 year younger)). Clarkes 18/19 year old season was nothing compared to Zaynes current 18/19 year old season.

Ryan Ellis, in his best year, still only had 14 even strength goals. He is the only player in the modern era to do what Parekh is currently doing, and he didn't even reach these heights.

Statistically Zayne is the best goalscoring defensemen in OHL history. Doug Wilson is the only one that can match his totals (80 goals through 3 seasons), but Wilson did that during his 17-19 year old seasons, and in the mid 70's to boot.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by HighLifeMan

Statistically Zayne is the best goalscoring defensemen in OHL history. Doug Wilson is the only one that can match his totals (80 goals through 3 seasons), but Wilson did that during his 17-19 year old seasons, and in the mid 70's to boot.

https://www.quanthockey.com/ohl/en/r...e-leaders.html

Not quite true. In Goals per game Stanley has him beat.

In total goals he is only 5th.

In Points per game he is 10th all time as of today. (and Hunter Brz is 19th!)

[Reggie Dunlop]

700 goals and 1300 points by the time all is said and done.

[Wastedyouth]

The more I dig, the more I am honestly baffled how far this kid fell.

[looooob]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

https://www.quanthockey.com/ohl/en/r...e-leaders.html

Not quite true. In Goals per game Stanley has him beat.

In total goals he is only 5th.

In Points per game he is 10th all time as of today. (and Hunter Brz is 19th!)

maybe I'm misreading what you just linked- in goals per game, he's ahead of Slaney , and the only guy ahead of him-- while I'm happy to be proven wrong I don't think was actually a defenceman- at least full time

[HighLifeMan]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

https://www.quanthockey.com/ohl/en/r...e-leaders.html

Not quite true. In Goals per game Stanley has him beat.

In total goals he is only 5th.

In Points per game he is 10th all time as of today. (and Hunter Brz is 19th!)

Zayne has the highest goals per game on that list. Tony Mackenzie was a right winger not sure why he's there.

If Parekh plays his 19 year old season (and he is healthy) he will no doubt be the only OHL defensemen to ever hit 100 goals.

[looooob]

as best I can tell one of his closest comps goal scoring wise is Al MacInnis, yet


1. Parekh's numbers are slightly better
2. Parekh is 16-18, Chopper is 17-19
3. Chopper played in the 80s




now the thing with MacInnis is by about (in my opinion) 85-86 he was becoming a very good and later excellent defensive defenceman


it was not obvious this was going to be his outcome, and it may still not be for Parekh


but in my opinion Al MacInnis is an inner circle HOFer, so there's that

[TrentCrimmIndependent]

We have our kipper and makar

Now go find a kopitar (since a MacKinnon or Crosby is likely out of our drafting range).

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by looooob

maybe I'm misreading what you just linked- in goals per game, he's ahead of Slaney , and the only guy ahead of him-- while I'm happy to be proven wrong I don't think was actually a defenceman- at least full time

You are right, I meant MacKenzie. But I didnt know he was a forward!

[Jiri Hrdina]

Originally Posted by Wastedyouth

The more I dig, the more I am honestly baffled how far this kid fell.

That speaks more to the quality of the draft and how teams prioritize centers. Centers are just too hard to find, so I can justify how Lindstrom (though the injuries now becoming a major worry), and Catton go ahead of him.

I think the questionable picks are Lindstrom (again because of injury), Iginla, and Yakemchuk. I really don't get why Ottawa took Yak over Parekh. I find that one very puzzling.

Demidov looks like a fantastic pick.

In a re-draft I thnk Zayne goes 6. I don't know if Levshunov still goes 2 or not. I bet the Hawks take Demidov in a re-draft.

Here's how I think it would have gone:

1. SJ: Mackline
2. Chicago: Demidov
3. Anaheim: Sennecke
4. CBJ: Levshunov
5. Montreal: Catton
6. Utah: Parekh or Buium
7. Ottawa: Parekh (if Buium goes ahead), if not then Iginla
8. Seattle: Dickinson
9. Calgary: Iginla if still on the board, if not would they take Lindstrom here? Yakemchuk?

When I look at it this way, man things really fell the right way for Calgary. There's any number of ways where I think if one pick is different, then a team earlier gabs Zayne.

[Wastedyouth]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

That speaks more to the quality of the draft and how teams prioritize centers. Centers are just too hard to find, so I can justify how Lindstrom (though the injuries now becoming a major worry), and Catton go ahead of him.

I think the questionable picks are Lindstrom (again because of injury), Iginla, and Yakemchuk. I really don't get why Ottawa took Yak over Parekh. I find that one very puzzling.

Demidov looks like a fantastic pick.

In a re-draft I thnk Zayne goes 6. I don't know if Levshunov still goes 2 or not. I bet the Hawks take Demidov in a re-draft.

Here's how I think it would have gone:

1. SJ: Mackline
2. Chicago: Demidov
3. Anaheim: Sennecke
4. CBJ: Levshunov
5. Montreal: Catton
6. Utah: Parekh or Buium
7. Ottawa: Parekh (if Buium goes ahead), if not then Iginla
8. Seattle: Dickinson
9. Calgary: Would they take Lindstrom here? Yakemchuk?

When I look at it this way, man things really fell the right way for Calgary. There's any number of ways where I think if one pick is different, then a team earlier gabs Zayne.

That's all fair and I don't disagree, but man (and I am trying to not go overboard here), Parekh is looking like a Makar level D man here. There isn't a player in Makars draft I think you take over him.

[Jiri Hrdina]

I'm excited too but Makar is a bit of a unicorn. Not saying to pump the brakes because being excited is fun.
But even if he's 80% of Makar, or in the ballpark of a Hughes - that's a massive piece.
If you've got a #1 D and a #1 G despite not having a REALLY high pick - you are on your way.

And I maybe too conservative in the re-draft but I think some teams would still have some biases due to perceived gaps in his game. And they will still favor some of the other guys.
To me the teams that would be in play for him are Chicago (longer shot), CBJ, utah and Ottawa including because a team like Montreal already has Lane Hutson.

[D as in David]

Watch out if he develops some freakish strength that many Korean men seem to have.

[Groot]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I'm excited too but Makar is a bit of a unicorn. Not saying to pump the brakes because being excited is fun.
But even if he's 80% of Makar, or in the ballpark of a Hughes - that's a massive piece.
If you've got a #1 D and a #1 G despite not having a REALLY high pick - you are on your way.

And I maybe too conservative in the re-draft but I think some teams would still have some biases due to perceived gaps in his game. And they will still favor some of the other guys.
To me the teams that would be in play for him are Chicago (longer shot), CBJ, utah and Ottawa including because a team like Montreal already has Lane Hutson.

It's still way too early but a lot of the excitement is warranted as thus far in his OHL career, Parekh is very much a unicorn himself. And he just seems to keep getting better.

In 2025, he has 15 goals in 16 games. Only 4 defensemen in the OHL have 15+ goals on the season.

In 2025, he has 34 points in 16 games. A ridiculous 2.125 PPG and a full 68-game season pace of 144 points. That would be 2nd highest ever and most in 31 years by 23 points. It would be 23rd highest point total ever by all OHL players, 5 points behind Eric Lindros' best OHL season (149) and 1 point behind Partick Kane's best (145).

Who knows what heights he may hit, but his D+1 year is absolutely incredible.

[yourbestfriend]

Will be interesting to see how he arrives at next years camp - 2 full summers of training after being drafted plus a record breaking D+1 pace.
Guys this talented develop exponentially, so I would expect to see a huge jump in his overall play come September. A great example is Mackinnon, had 1pt in 6games in the 2013 WJC. Less than a year later, he's putting up 63pts in his first NHL season.

The only thing I will caution about Parekh and his readiness for the NHL is that even the best defensemen need 2years+ in development before making the NHL full time. From the top 20point producing defensemen in the league only Hughes, Werenski, Hedman, Dahlin, Karlsson, Chychrun and Sergachev made their teams with one or less seasons of additional development.

Add in our seasoned AHL prospects who are are now seriously pushing for bottom 6 spots -Solovyov (4 AHL seasons), Kuznetsov (3 AHL seasons), Poirier (3 AHL seasons), Grusnikov (2 AHL seasons) and to a lesser extent Brzustewicz (1 AHL season) - Parekh has some legit competition to beat out.
Assuming no trades or signings for next season I would pencil in Weegar, Andersson, Bahl and Pachal as regulars.

Weegar - Andersson
Bahl - Open
Pachal - Open
Bean

If the development is there, put him in, but it wouldn't shock me for a second if he couldn't beat out a few of our current crop of prospects for a job next year. In which case, I would have no issues sending him back to juniors.

[fotze2]

Originally Posted by Jiri Hrdina

I think the questionable picks are Lindstrom (again because of injury), Iginla, and Yakemchuk. I really don't get why Ottawa took Yak over Parekh. I find that one very puzzling.

Parekh is what Yak wishes Yak was. His give a crapper on d has never been large.