At first glance, most were shocked not to see Parekh even invited to camp. He was selected ninth overall just a few months back and has played for Hockey Canada at various events. But many scouts saw the backlog of puck-moving defenders – including a few older, more experienced options – and wondered where the fit would be.

The surplus of puck-movers included Tanner Molendyk and Sam Dickinson. There’s plenty of power-play stalwarts, too. It almost made Parekh a bit redundant, even if the pure talent has always been there. You saw the skill with the puck from the get-go as an OHL rookie in 2022-23. He had 21 goals as a 16-year-old – it was the most goals scored by a U-17 defenseman in OHL history, besting the likes of Ryan Ellis and Jakob Chychrun

“(The coaching staff) knows what I’m capable of, they know I play with the puck, they know I’m a skilled player,” Parekh said. “It’s kind of showing them the off-puck, tight gaps. I know I’m capable of that.”

“If I outperform some of the other players here and don’t give the option to not take me on the team, I’ll put myself in a good position (to make the final roster). I’m confident in my ability. I’m confident in the player I am.”