There are a ton of pure offense guys who are abysmal in their own end who have had fine careers in the league. Tony DeAngelo comes to mind, and Parekh and DeAngelo have an eerily similar draft year stat line thus far.
RD Zayne Parekh - Saginaw Spirit, OHL (2024 Draft)
- Thread starter GermanSpitfire
- Start date
There are indeed a lot of those pure offensive D in the league but how many that are high value? Recent trades suggest that playoff teams aren't keen on having them.
rt
The Kinder, Gentler Version
Arizona was paid a 2nd to take Gostisbehere and later when he’d completely resuscitated his trade value, they got a 3rd rounder for him. They replaced him by trading a 2nd for Durzi.
I personally think Durzi and Gostisbehere are extremes valuable contributors to their team and I personally value them highly. But it seems the market disagrees and these types can be had relatively inexpensively.
There is the ultra elite version like Quinn Hughes or Adam Fox but it seems the next step down represents a major drop off in market value.
This is me saying this as a Parekh fan.
rt
The Kinder, Gentler Version
rt
The Kinder, Gentler Version
Even Montour was traded for a 3rd at one point. DeAngelo has been available for cheap or free too. And also Barrie.
GermanSpitfire
EU Video Scout for McKeen’s
Let me start this off by saying: I do not hate this player. I think he is one of the most talented offensive blueliners in this draft class. He is fantastic at managing the offense when he is in the ice, and when team is in the offensive end. He see’s the ice really well and it’s almost not fair when he is manning the blue-line in the PP.
That being said - for every player there is the good, and there is the bad. I wanted to highlight the part of his game that is going to scare off NHL teams from taking him high in the draft. He is not good, at all in the defensive zone. I’m not saying he can’t learn, but this part of his game is non existent at the moment. Here are a few clips that showcase that:
This clip here, you can see him give up on chasing this defender, letting his defensive partner take the battle instead. This is fine, he even shoulder checks to make sure there are no trailing forwards. He then, rather than take one of the two players that joined the offensive zone late, goes to defend the player that posed no threat at all in the guy that just had the breakaway chance that his partner was in the position to cover. So because Parekh takes that player, his partner has to skate further to cover the player that Parekh should have picked up in Dionicio who had all the time and space in the world to make a play to the streaking winger in open ice. To compound Parekh’s bad man coverage in this play is he gets caught puck watching and doesn’t check his over his shoulder, if he did he would have been able to cut off the passing lane and prevented this goal. Terrible, lazy play by him here.
Okay, here is another one from the exact same game not even 20 minutes later. This one is a little more simple. Parekh identity’s that he should close out on the player that just gained entry into the offensive zone. Good decision, but look at how frail and pathetic this effort is to close out. First off he is fixated on the puck carrier and has zero care about what else is going on, He leads with his body, not his stick so rather than taking away a passing lane while closing out on this defender, he is just skating towards him awaiting contact. Parekh see’s the player stops up and make a pass so he stops awkwardly while taking a cute little backwards swing at the puck that obviously does nothing and a goal is scored as a result. If he had closed out with his stick extended, this goal doesn’t happen.
These are just a couple clips, I don’t want to make it seem like I am basing on the kid but when I see some people have him at #6!? In their rankings I say to myself, you must really think this kid is the next Quinn Hughes. When in my opinion, his offensive game isn’t dynamic enough to make up for the defensive downfalls to become one of types of defender.
That being said - for every player there is the good, and there is the bad. I wanted to highlight the part of his game that is going to scare off NHL teams from taking him high in the draft. He is not good, at all in the defensive zone. I’m not saying he can’t learn, but this part of his game is non existent at the moment. Here are a few clips that showcase that:
This clip here, you can see him give up on chasing this defender, letting his defensive partner take the battle instead. This is fine, he even shoulder checks to make sure there are no trailing forwards. He then, rather than take one of the two players that joined the offensive zone late, goes to defend the player that posed no threat at all in the guy that just had the breakaway chance that his partner was in the position to cover. So because Parekh takes that player, his partner has to skate further to cover the player that Parekh should have picked up in Dionicio who had all the time and space in the world to make a play to the streaking winger in open ice. To compound Parekh’s bad man coverage in this play is he gets caught puck watching and doesn’t check his over his shoulder, if he did he would have been able to cut off the passing lane and prevented this goal. Terrible, lazy play by him here.
Okay, here is another one from the exact same game not even 20 minutes later. This one is a little more simple. Parekh identity’s that he should close out on the player that just gained entry into the offensive zone. Good decision, but look at how frail and pathetic this effort is to close out. First off he is fixated on the puck carrier and has zero care about what else is going on, He leads with his body, not his stick so rather than taking away a passing lane while closing out on this defender, he is just skating towards him awaiting contact. Parekh see’s the player stops up and make a pass so he stops awkwardly while taking a cute little backwards swing at the puck that obviously does nothing and a goal is scored as a result. If he had closed out with his stick extended, this goal doesn’t happen.
These are just a couple clips, I don’t want to make it seem like I am basing on the kid but when I see some people have him at #6!? In their rankings I say to myself, you must really think this kid is the next Quinn Hughes. When in my opinion, his offensive game isn’t dynamic enough to make up for the defensive downfalls to become one of types of defender.
Sergei Shirokov
Registered User
DeAngelo might be an outlier though. For a DeAngelo there are others who just don't make it in prominent roles; Boqvist, Merkley, Addison, Ryan Murphy if you wanna go back, Jack Rathbone (not a 1st rounder but has NHL offensive talent/skating), exc.
Even some that do, like DeAngelo & Ghost, don't really seem to find themselves as big parts of contending teams.
Ghost started strong in Philly then became part of the problem, to the point that he was traded as a cap dump to Arizona. He's rebuilt his game on non-playoff teams.
DeAngelo was on the Rangers when they weren't great, was part of the problem in Philly, has had success in a specific role in Carolina but you wouldn't say he's a top player on that team.
Anyways to Parekh;
This is what I think too. When I said 1-way I meant the defensive side doesn't seem to be much of a focus alot of the time, nvm the details, he's just always thinking offense & that won't fly in the NHL.
Maybe he'll focus on that part in his development & be able to be a competent defender, not saying he can't just saying I don't see it in his game at all right now. With Mintyukov he would play rover but you could see that he could defend hard when he wanted too.
Its still early in the year, maybe we'll see focus/progression there. As of now I still think he's a 1st rounder just not top 10.
Pavel Buchnevich
Drury and Laviolette Must Go
TLEH
Pronounced T-Lay
Personally would be upset if my team took him in the top 15 if the draft was today. Plenty of time to go but I see a player with zero commitment to defense, playing defense. I've watched 3 of their games now and recorded them. Went back and watched again for his shifts and he just floats.
Extremely intelligent offensive mind, crazy agile skater. Good shot/whippy release. Its hard for me to project an even competent defender at the next level when watching something like his game. Almost reminds me of Boqvist but even worse.
Extremely intelligent offensive mind, crazy agile skater. Good shot/whippy release. Its hard for me to project an even competent defender at the next level when watching something like his game. Almost reminds me of Boqvist but even worse.
Artorius Horus T
sincerety
10 goals, 31 points in 23 games.
i'd say that's a good start
(production wisely)
last season : 21 goals, 37 points in 50 games.
i'd say that's a good start
(production wisely)last season : 21 goals, 37 points in 50 games.
PittsburghHustlers
Registered User
I'd be sooo happy if my team landed him outside the top ten. Love his skillset and while I agree that he needs to get (a lot) better defensively, it's so hard to find that kind of offensive skill. In a draft that's kinda missing high end skill I'd probably draft him somewhere in the 4-8 range ATM.
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Zayne is playing at a 2ppg pace over the last 6 games. Is there defensive warts? Yes. He’s straight up bad in his own in.
People bring up other offense dman, but can anyone here name a dman scoring at this high of pace in thier draft year in a major Jr league over the last while?
People bring up other offense dman, but can anyone here name a dman scoring at this high of pace in thier draft year in a major Jr league over the last while?
TLEH
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Kingpin794
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LeProspector
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McFlash97
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A brown guy dominating hockey ? Love to see it.
Isaac Nootin
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PittsburghHustlers
Registered User
I think Zayne is a bit more dynamic, and way better defensively than Murphy was at the same age.
Starry Knight
Tele-Wyatt
If the comparison is just the lack of defensive acumen, sure, but Parekh is at 1.5ppg as a 17 year old and is leading his team in points.
Boqvist was at 1.1ppg and 3rd on the team in scoring as an 18 year old.
I think it's safe to say that Parekh is quite the step up offensively in comparison to Boqvist (and Murphy as the other comparison being currently mentioned). Whether the lack of defense can be worked on is certainly the gamble teams will need to make. His father's shenanigans with trying to buy the Windsor Spitfires to have Parekh's less talented older brother play makes me question the character in the family a little bit.
LeProspector
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