Calgary d-man Zayne Parekh is projected to follow up a strong debut for the Flames with a full NHL season. in 37 games with the Flames last season, the 20-year-old offensive machine managed 9 points on 4 goals and 5 assists. Also, Parekh led all d-man in scoring at the World Junior Championship with 13 points (5G 8A) in helping lead Team Canada to a bronze medal. This follows up a junior career with the OHL’s Saginaw Spirit where he posted 240 points (87G 153A) in 177 games, and helped guide Saginaw to its first-ever Memorial Cup championship in 2024.
Not a physical shut-down type of d-man, Parekh nonetheless gets the job done on the D side of things with an active stick, elite skating leading to aggressive gap control, and excellent anticipation instincts.