As round one begins to wind down, a prolific WHL point producer enters the fray as a potential scoring threat for the future. Scouts are split on Terik Parascak’s ulitmate upside, but he possesses offensive instincts that are very hard to teach. He isn’t super flashy, but he is effective, and came out of nowhere to be a standout 17-year old that lit up the WHL.
Pre-draft rankings
No. 31 by Corey Pronman (The Athletic)
No. 23 by Sportsnet
No 28 by Elite Prospects
No. 27 by Bob McKenzie (TSN)
Statistics
What’s there to like?
In his first true taste of WHL action, Parascak was able to put up elite levels numbers from day one. His 105 points in 68 games is an eye-popping number, and comes due to a combination of some really high offensive awareness, and an opportunistic shot that can beat goalies from any spot on the ice. He is a player who works seamlessly with the teammates around him, and finds gaps in the offensive zone that allows him to create the most efficient scoring chance possible. Taking advantage of the vulnerable spaces in dangerous offensive areas is what Parascak does best when he is at his peak.
Some scouts dismiss his offensive output by just attributing it to the creation of his linemates, but this is a pretty reductive view of a player who just inherently knows where his teammates want him to be. Parascak is a distributor’s dream, and with the pace of play being as high as it is at times in the modern NHL, being able to make yourself an available target consistently with the ability to make the right play is very valuable.
He also offers some solid defensive work rate and tenacity, and while he won’t ever be a shut-down option of any sort, it is still comforting that he is willing to put in the work and isn’t totally ignoring his own zone.
Parascak ranked amongst the WHL’s top-10 in both goals and points as a 17-year old, and was a vital part of a Prince George attack that at times looked like the best in the league. Parascak’s ability to seamlessly combine with his more veteran teammates made him a key cog that was interchangable in a variety of scenarios; whether it be on the man advantage, 5-on-5, or shorthanded, Parascak was always present and trusted. The quickness of his hands and release are very noticable, and once he got comfortable with the WHL’s pace, he was willing and able to play with tempo, while still remaining composed. Parascak plays the game at his own pace, and isn’t going to be someone who rushes plays with the puck.
What’s not to like?
The main critique of Parascak stems primarily from the roster he played alongside. Riding shotgun with elite players like Wild 2023 2nd rounder Riley Heidt and Capitals prospect Zackary Funk helps, as those two were second and third in WHL scoring respectively. Add in overager Ondrej Becher, who had 96 points of his own while being a more direct creator of offensive opportunites, and you can see how some scouts have came away with the impression that a lot of Parascak’s scoring success came from chances that were created by his older and more dynamic teammates. When the line of Becher, Funk, and Parascak were elite, the latter was usually the least effective play driver and mostly benefitted from chances created by his linemates.
And that is a fair critique, nothing Parascak does offensively is necessarily eye-popping.
His skating is nothing to write home about, and it will need to improve if he wants to be an elite offensive weapon at the NHL level. Not only is he not exactly quick in a straight line, his edgework is also just fine, and he can’t really beat defenders 1-on-1 with his hands. Overall, there are questions about whether Parascak really has the raw tools that would make him worth spending a first-round pick on. Yes, he has showcased the ability to be a quality foil alongside elite players, but when left on his own to try and drive play for himself, he falters a bit.
Parascak could fit the mold of a Zach Hyman-type in the future, someone who, after a few years in the league, can serve a very important role alongside stars because of his understanding of how to best complement their play. The issue arises when you realize that Zach Hyman was a 5th round pick because of his percevied limited upside, and Parascak is more than likely going to go in the first.
Simply put, there are players with more potential to be elite in this draft than Parascak. He is opportunistic, but may not be as dynamic as his gaudy point total suggests.
How would he fit in the Flyers’ system?
This may actually be one of the first prospects that may not actually fit the Flyers needs. Players like Joel Farabee, Noah Cates, and even Ryan Poehling fill the role that Parascak would likely play whenever he reaches the NHL level. And while a collection of quality depth is necessary to ultimately win, the Flyers find themselves in a place where taking a swing at prospects with more boom/bust potential just makes more sense. Parascak would fit in fine amongst the Flyers middle-six, so this really isn’t even a comment on his very real ability and potential to become a quality NHLer, there just may not be any use to taking another middle-six winger.
Could the Flyers actually get him?
Parascak is tipped to go anywhere from 20th to 40th overall, and with the Flyers possessing the Florida Panthers’ first round selection (that seems like it will be the 32nd pick), the Flyers will have an outside shot at grabbing Parascak if he falls a bit lower than his consensus ranking. He will definitely be in the mix as the Flyers plan for their second 1st round selection.
What scouts are saying
“He anticipates play offensively and defensively at a very high level, knows how to get open and play to his linemates’ strengths, has a great wrister and one-touch shot from midrange, always goes to the net when the play funnels there instead of hanging out wide, and has skill around the net and in tight to his body when challenged by defenders. He also uses his linemates extremely well, has shown nice touch as a passer, and has easy handling ability. He’s not a flashy skater but he’s fast (I think he’s a better, more controlled skater than I and others realized after earlier viewings) or individual play creator off the rush, but with timing and good skill, he makes things happen offensively.” – Scott Wheeler, The Athletic
“Parascak’s hockey sense is his best attribute and a big reason he was able to lead WHL rookies with 105 points (43 goals, 62 assists) in 68 games despite not having not having overwhelming size (6-1, 179) or speed. He’s fearless in traffic and was able to produce from the slot. All the elements of his game that are good now only will get better as the 18-year-old continues to develop physically.” – Adam Kimelman, NHL.com
Previously on the 2024 Community Draft Board…
- Macklin Celebrini
- Ivan Demidov
- Artyom Levshunov
- Anton Silayev
- Cayden Lindstrom
- Sam Dickinson
- Zeev Buium
- Berkly Catton
- Zayne Parekh
- Konsta Helenius
- Tij Iginla
- Cole Eiserman
- Carter Yakemchuk
- Adam Jiricek
- Michael Brandsegg-Nygård
- Beckett Sennecke
- Liam Greentree
- Igor Chernyshov
- Sacha Boisvert
- Michael Hage
- Aron Kiviharju
- Andrew Basha
- Trevor Connelly
- Nikita Artamonov
- Ryder Ritchie
- Emil Hemming
- Cole Hutson
- Terik Parascak
- ????
