Flames’ Zayne Parekh’s Rookie Season Has Been a Colossal Failure – The Hockey Writers – Calgary Flames
Since the moment he was selected ninth overall in the 2024 draft, Zayne Parekh has been viewed by many as the saviour of the Calgary Flames. With the organization having already begun to shift to somewhat of a rebuilding stage at the time he was selected, he was immediately thought of as a massive part of the future.
It was easy to see why so many were high on Parekh right from the get-go. Though there were defensive deficiencies in his game, it was impossible to ignore the 33-goal, 96-point season he had with the Ontario Hockey League’s (OHL) Saginaw Spirit in his draft-eligible campaign. He then followed that up by scoring 33 goals and 107 points with the Spirit in 2024-25.
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That offensive domination had seemingly everybody thinking Parekh was ready to turn pro for the 2025-26 season. The issue, however, was that he was ineligible to play in the American Hockey League (AHL) due to being only 19 years old when the season began. Instead, the recently turned 20-year-old cracked the Flames’ opening night roster, much to the excitement of the fan base. Unfortunately, things haven’t gone in a very positive direction since.
Parekh Struggling to Get Anything Going
Early on in the 2025-26 season, there were plenty of Flames fans upset with Parekh’s usage. He was healthy scratched plenty and often in the early going and was handed very limited minutes on the nights he did suit up. Despite his elite offensive skill, he was seeing next to no time on the power play.
What also became evident early was that Parekh’s size was going to be an issue in the early going. Listed at just 6-feet, 179 pounds, he was on the receiving end of plenty of big hits in the opening weeks of the season, before a check from Nick Foligno knocked him out of the lineup for over two months.
After recovering from his injury, Parekh was able to suit up for Canada at the World Juniors. Though Canada didn’t win gold, Parekh dazzled with 13 points in just seven games. That once again gave Flames fans hope that he could discover his offensive touch at the NHL level upon returning to Calgary.
That’s failed to be the case. Parekh has been healthy scratched in two of 11 games since the Olympic break. He’s had more than 19 minutes of ice time in just two of those games while picking up one assist. On the season as a whole, he’s suited up for just 22 games while managing only two helpers.
First off, let’s make things clear: Parekh has not been good enough this season. You can’t be a complete one-trick pony at the NHL, especially when the numbers aren’t piling up. What’s become very clear is that while Parekh’s offence may not be NHL ready just yet, his play away from the puck isn’t even close.
On the other end of things, you have to wonder why the Flames elected to keep Parekh on their roster this season. There was certainly validity to the thought that he may have become too good to return to the OHL, but he would at least still be playing regularly. While the World Juniors stint was a nice silver lining, this season as a whole has felt like a waste in what is supposed to be a big development year for Parekh.
AHL is an Option Next Season
The good news for both sides is that come the 2026-27 season, Parekh will be AHL eligible. Based on what we’ve seen from the young blueliner in 2025-26, it seems safe to say that spending some time in the minors for some, if not all of next season could be the right decision.
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There is still plenty of time for Parekh to develop into the player the Flames organization and its fan base had hoped. He’s still very young, and it typically takes defencemen longer to become NHL ready. That said, there’s validity to the concern some are having over how his first season as a pro has played out, and many, from management to coaching staff and all the way to Parekh himself share some of the blame.
