The Calgary Flames have finally cleared Zayne Parekh to play his tenth year, meaning the first year of his ELC is officially underway. Regardless of how many games he plays, Parekh will be paid for the first year of his contract.
On 32 Thoughts this week, Elliotte Friedman spoke about how Parekh has played and whether there were any genuine concerns about his return to junior hockey. This is what he said.
“It was impossible that Zayne Parekh would go back to the juniors”
Friedman started by saying there was never any serious conversation about Parekh returning to the junior ranks after the season started. Not only did the team want him to play NHL minutes, knowing he is too good for the OHL, but they also promised him he would play this year.
Players who start playing for the team receive a home letter stating that they must find a permanent home. If they are sent down, the team will pay the costs of where they live. According to Friedman, Parekh received one earlier this year. Sending him down would have been an additional expense they would have had to incur if they sent him back to the OHL.
Zayne Parekh wasn’t perfect to start the year
However, Friedman has rightly pointed out that Parekh has struggled to start the year. He said: “With Parekh you see the ability, but you also see the rawness”. He has been very good and the flashes of talent are there, but he has taken his hits in the corners. Parekh still has a lot of growing to do before he becomes an NHL player.
While his underlying numbers are among the best on the team, when you see him on the ice, especially in his own zone, he struggles to keep hold of the puck and battle against guys bigger than him. He’s 19. This is to be expected. But for a team that needs to find a way to put the puck in the net more and limit chances against, Parekh’s struggles don’t help much.
Looking forward to the 40th game of the season
Friedman noted that teams care a little about the 10th game, but they really care about the 40th game of the season. If a player is on the roster for the 40th game of the season, no matter how many games he plays, he is burning towards arbitration and unrestricted free agency for a year. That makes it harder to control his future and means the team has less time to sign him long-term under their own control.
The Flames’ 40th game is on New Year’s Eve against the Philadelphia Flyers, and assuming Parekh remains on the roster until then, that will be the day to see what happens with him. Will he remain on the team’s roster, or will they make another call?
What’s next for Zayne Parekh?
Friedman also noted that this isn’t just about this season, but the next decade of his career. They want to make him a franchise player, and sending him to the OHL wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world. The Flames really could have used it, though the clause in the new collective labor agreement allowing a 19-year-old player to go to the AHL. They currently don’t have that option. Even temporarily, giving Parekh some reps at the AHL level would have been beneficial to his development.
Technically, the Flames can send Parekh to the AHL for a conditioning period, but he must first be scratched healthy for five straight games. That conditioning stint will only last 5 games or 14 days, whichever comes first. According to Friedman, they can only do this once a season and can no longer keep him in the AHL.
Given what Friedman said, it seems clear that playing games and getting reps in the NHL makes the most sense. At least for now.
Related
#Thoughts #Whats #Zayne #Parekh #hes #played #ten #games #Win #Column