Zayne Parekh has ‘great opportunity’ to make Flames’ roster according to GM Craig Conroy

Where Zayne Parekh will play hockey next season has been a hot topic around the league this summer.

The dynamic defensive prospect was selected ninth overall in the 2024 NHL Draft by the Calgary Flames and has been one of the most productive OHL defencemen in recent memory, boasting a combined 203 points over the past two seasons.

Parekh is coming off back-to-back 30-goal campaigns for the Saginaw Spirit, a feat that hasn’t been accomplished by an OHL/OHA defenceman since Bobby Orr did it from 1964-66.

The 19-year-old is still not eligible to join the AHL’s Calgary Wranglers, but has little left to prove in major junior. Naturally, there is speculation that he could join the Flames in 2025-26, at least for a portion of the season.

Calgary GM Craig Conroy was recently interviewed by TSN at the ongoing Hlinka Gretzky Cup and asked about Parekh’s chances of cracking the Flames’ roster:

“Just watching Zayne all year, just seeing what he can do offensively and the way he kind of plays. Even when he came up at the end, to watch him in practice, he just does things differently than most guys… I don’t want to put too much pressure on him, but he’s going to have a great opportunity to make this team next year,” said Conroy, per TSN.

Conroy was then asked what else he needs to see out of Parekh in order for him to take the next step:

“Offensively, he can do all that. It’s going to be his play away from the puck, how he can defend… I’m just looking for him to come in and just play his game and be more confident. I think he was disappointed when he came in last year, it didn’t work quite as well. It wasn’t as easy as he thought it was going to be.”

Parekh suited up for Calgary in their final regular season game, where he showed some offensive flash and potted his first NHL goal.

The Flames have a history of teenagers making the team out of training camp and subsequently finding their footing at the NHL level, names like Matthew Tkachuk, Sean Monahan, and Sam Bennett.

A 19-year-old Samuel Honzek had a brief stint with the Flames to begin last season, playing in the club’s first four games, and another in late October before being assigned to the Wranglers. So there’s plenty of precedent for Parekh to make the team out of camp just over one year removed from hearing his name called at the draft.