There is expected to be a bit of a rush on defence at this year’s NHL draft, with perhaps a larger number of them than usual going in the top 10. There are quite a few interesting prospects on the blue line, some from overseas and some from North America, and teams with high picks that have a need there should not be short on options.
One defenceman who could hear his name called rather early is Zayne Parekh, a recent Memorial Cup champion from the Saginaw Spirit.
Birthplace: Nobleton, Ontario
Date of birth: February 15, 2006
Shoots: Right
Position: Defence
Height: 6′0″
Weight: 181 lbs.
Team: Saginaw Spirit (OHL)
A first-round pick for Saginaw in the OHL draft, Parekh showed great promise in his rookie season, but broke out in a massive way in his draft year. With 96 points, he led his team, led all defencemen in the OHL, and was top-10 overall in the league. Saginaw hosted the Memorial Cup this season, a tournament at which Parekh scored a point per game, helping his club to their first CHL championship.
Skating is perhaps his most impressive tool, with excellent edgework and pivots making him one of the most mobile defenders in the OHL, and frankly in the world for his age group. He pairs that mobility with some incredible hands, executing high-level moves even at top speed to boost his ability to manipulate coverage. With the puck, there is not much he can’t do, and you’re talking about one of the more dynamic players in this draft, certainly the most dynamic defender.
His shot is elite at his level, favouring a quick wrist or snap-shot from the point to get it on goal quick. He can beat goaltenders from distance, and also puts it in great position for tips and rebounds. Because he favours a quicker release over a big wind-up, he needs only small windows, and boy does he ever not have a problem creating those for himself.
He’s a nightmare to try and check at the offensive blue line, using his skating and feints to open up passing or shooting lanes. He routinely forces those covering him to miss, and from there he has elite vision in locating the best option for where to send the puck. Naturally, this made him one of the best power play operators in the OHL, and should serve him very well when he transitions to professional hockey.
The only real concern seems to be in his approach to defending through the neutral zone. He takes a very aggressive approach, which at times sees him lunging for pucks. This is something he gets away with in the OHL, but he’ll need to rein that in before he gets to the NHL where it will lead to him getting beat more often than not. This goes for transitional play with the puck as well, as he’ll try some very aggressive moves that generally don’t hurt him in junior, but could become more problematic against the best players in the world.
But even with these minor concerns, he has arguably the highest ceiling of any defender in this draft. He projects as a top-four defenceman, with the ability to become an elite producer on the top unit. His likelihood of becoming a star producer is pretty strong, hence giving him some pretty favourable rankings heading into draft day.
Rankings
Dobber Prospects: #4
Elite Prospects: #5
Hockey Prospect: #9
McKeen’s: #11
Bob McKenzie (TSN): #8
FC Hockey: #7
NHL Central Scouting: #5 (North American skaters)
Corey Pronman (The Athletic): #9
Scott Wheeler (The Athletic): #5
It would be incredibly surprising if Parekh isn’t gone in the top 10, and some even rank him as a top-five talent. He has top-pair defender written all over him, and even if he doesn’t reach that ceiling, he could be a capable second-pair player that can also quarterback an excellent power play unit. He’s a safe bet to be a productive NHLer, with the upside that you want to have in a lottery pick.
Montreal Canadiens prospect Owen Beck was a key acquisition for Saginaw, and teammate of Parekh for over half this past season. Even if there wasn’t a pre-existing level of interest, their scouting and development staff would have had plenty of opportunity to see Parekh in action, so they should have a pretty good idea of what he’s capable of. If they’re in the market for defence with their fifth-overall pick, he could absolutely be in the mix, depending on which other blueliners find themselves gone inside of the top five.
The far more pressing need in Montreal, however, is help up front. If they do decide to go with a defender for the second year in a row in the top five, they’ll need to look to make a trade, because they’ll be making their existing log jam on the blue line even worse.
But Parekh has the kind of talent that should make him a consideration for everyone in the early stages of the draft, regardless of their specific needs.
