Calgary Flames select Zayne Parekh in the 2024 NHL Draft
By Nathan Smith
The start of the 2024 NHL Draft was just as unpredictable as expected, and with the Calgary Flames heading to the podium, there was plenty of talent left on the board. There were names such as Zeev Buium, Anton Silayev, Sam Dickinson and others still available, but Craig Conroy officially announced the pick as Saginaw Spirit defenseman Zayne Parekh.
ZAYNE IS OUR GUY AT NUMBER 9!!! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/R3hrOXHLZC
— Calgary Flames (@NHLFlames) June 29, 2024
The 18-year old may have questions defensively, but as an offensive force, there's few players more talented than Parekh, who put together an incredible season in 2023-24, winning the CHL's Defenseman of the Year Award. In 66 games played, Parekh tallied an incredible 33 goals and 63 assists, leading the league in scoring for defenseman with absolute stunning highlights that should make Flames fans incredibly excited.
CALGARY FLAMES GET ZAYNE PAREKH AT #9!!!
— Byron Bader (@ByronMBader) June 29, 2024
Was honestly a bit nervous where they would go here but this is tremendous!
Parekh is an offensive dynamo. His pre-draft year and draft year equivalencies were in the 99th percentile.
To produce this much, this early as a dman is not… pic.twitter.com/p58gzzpct9
On the high end, the comparables for Parekh are the likes of Quin Hughes, and if the Flames can develop him and find an offensive creator on the blue line to pair with prospects like Hunter Brzustewicz and Jeremie Poirier, with the future looking incredibly bright.
There it is!@SpiritHockey's @ZayneParekh is selected 9th overall in the 2024 @NHL Draft by the Calgary @NHLFlames!
— Mark Pearson (@MarkPearsonTV) June 29, 2024
Parekh was named @CHLHockey's Defenseman of the Year after tallying 33 goals and 96 points in the regular season, both franchise records for the Spirit! pic.twitter.com/5SzJaHW2x1