Calgary Flames top prospect Zayne Parekh has been called up to the National Hockey League.
At the same time, the team is in desperation mode as they try to reach the post-season. After defeating the San Jose Sharks on Monday thanks to another comeback victory, the Flames have a 7-2-2 record in their past 11 games, and a 9-4-4 record in their past 17 games.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the Flames have a 37-27-13 record with 87 points, four behind the Minnesota Wild for the final wild card spot. It’s worth noting that the Flames have a game in hand and also play the Wild this coming Friday, but they’ll need some help elsewhere, as the Wild have the tiebreakers.
Scoring has been an issue all season long. Despite being on the outside looking in, the Flames have scored just 203 goals this season, the third-fewest in the league aside from the Nashville Predators and Sharks.
The question is, should the Flames give Parekh an opportunity this season?
The case for playing Parekh
Parekh was selected ninth overall in the 2024 draft by the Flames. The right-shot defenceman made his Ontario Hockey League debut in 2022-23 with the Saginaw Spirit, scoring 21 goals and 37 points in 50 games.
In 2023-24, his draft year, he scored 33 goals and 96 points in 66 games, with two goals and 11 points in 13 post-season games. Although the Spirit were bounced in the Western Conference finals, they hosted the Memorial Cup and ended up winning it.
Returning to the Spirit for the 2024-25 season, Parekh scored 33 goals and 107 points in 61 games, with two goals and nine points in five post-season games. He was the first OHL defenceman since Bobby Orr in 1964-65 and 1965-66 to score back-to-back 30-goal seasons (when it was known as the OHA). Parekh is also the first defenceman in the league to hit 100 points since Ryan Ellis during the 2010-11 season.
Parekh’s talent is obvious; without question, he’d be one of the Flames’ best six defencemen. Where he’d slot in is anyone’s guess, but one thing the Flames could do is pair MacKenzie Weegar and Rasmus Andersson, and slot Parekh with Kevin Bahl.
Even without professional experience, I’d argue he’s more of a game-changer than defencemen like Joel Hanley, Jake Bean, and Brayden Pachal. There are certainly counterarguments to that, which we’ll get to, but for a team lacking goals, bringing in a player like Parekh could be a massive help, especially on the power play.
The Flames aren’t the only team calling up young players. During their 12-game win streak, the St. Louis Blues called up two young players (Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorský), as did the Washington Capitals (Ryan Leonard), New York Rangers (Gabe Perreault), and Montréal Canadiens (Ivan Demidov). It’s worth noting that all five of those players have played at a higher level than Parekh.
Parekh is already in playoff mode, as his Spirit were bounced in five games at the hands of the Erie Otters (it certainly wasn’t his fault). He has probably played his last OHL game as well because, in reality, there’s nothing more the right-shot defenceman needs to prove at that level. There’s a good chance he’ll become a regular with the Flames next season as he can’t play in the American Hockey League, so why not get him some games when it really matters?
The case against playing Parekh
Of course, there are counterarguments to Parekh playing in the National Hockey League this season, at least until the Flames are mathematically eliminated from the post-season. The biggest one is that the margin of error for the Flames is basically nonexistent. They need to win their five remaining games and even then, they’ll need help from other teams as the Wild need to lose at least one game against the Anaheim Ducks, San Jose Sharks, or Vancouver Canucks.
Parekh also just joined the Flames, an entirely new team from the Saginaw Spirit. He may have learned the Flames’ system while playing the rookie camp, but things change, and that doesn’t mean he’s familiar with it, as it’s been nearly an entire season.
There’s also the fact that the jump between the Ontario Hockey League and the National Hockey League is a massive jump. We’re only just starting to see a handful of Canadian Hockey League players from the 2022 draft become regulars. There are two regulars drafted from a CHL team in the 2023 draft (Connor Bedard and Zach Benson), while Luca Cagnoni has played a handful of games for the terrible Sharks.
From the 2024 draft, there are just four players who’ve played an NHL game: Macklin Celebrini (first-overall pick), Artyom Levshunov (second-overall), Jett Luchanko (four games played at the start of the season), and Nikita Prishchepov (overager). Only one of those players, Luchanko, was drafted from the CHL.
Parekh’s talent is undeniable, hence why he is spending the rest of the season with the Flames and potentially the Calgary Wranglers after the Flames’ season is done. However, it’s rare to see a player in their first season after the draft get into significant NHL games.
Lastly, the Flames are playing well, 7-2-2 in their last 11 and 9-4-4 in their last 17. Why change the horses that have gotten you to this point? Sure, adding a potential game-changer like Parekh could help boost their chances of making the post-season, but there is just as much risk with the small margin of error they have left remaining. That doesn’t even mention the potential harm to his development if things go awry.
I’m on team “let the prospects play,” but both sides have merit.
Ryley Delaney is a Nation Network writer for FlamesNation, Oilersnation, and Blue Jays Nation. They can be followed on Twitter @Ryley__Delaney.
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