The Capitals 2024 first-rounder is ready to make noise in the pros.
ARLINGTON, V.A. — Washington Capitals prospect Terik Parascak is on a mission.
He's heard the critics over the course of his hockey journey, and has dealt with doubt. It was no different as he heard his name called in the first round of the 2024 NHL Draft, where he went 17th overall when he self-admittedly "wasn't even really on anyone's radar."
Now, as he looks to make the pro jump with the organization this season, likely with the AHL's Hershey Bears, he's trying to prove them right after a somewhat frustrating finale in juniors.
"A lot of my story growing up was that I was cut from teams and needed to work my way up and continue to put effort in," Parascak said. "I think having a little bit of a down year, it always kind of brings me back to that moment where it's never out of the picture and just to put my head down and work and see what can happen."
The 20-year-old navigated a strange year with the WHL's Prince Georges Cougars, where he had 33 goals and 46 assists for 79 points in 61 games, his production taking a step back from the previous two seasons. He did bounce back in the playoffs, though, with 17 points in 12 games.
"I don't know how many breakaways I had this year that I couldn't put in the back of the net," Parascak quipped.
Though he managed over a point per game pace, he struggled to find consistency, and the puck didn't seem to be going in as easily as it used to.
"It was a little bit frustrating," Parascak said, adding, "I learned a lot of what my game brings when points aren't always coming."
Instead of letting the lack of scoring get to him, Parascak kept working and chose to shift his focus to rounding out his all-around game. He took on more roles, emphasizing his defensive play, penalty killing and showcasing what he could do without the puck.
It was exactly what the Capitals wanted to see from Parascak, and it's something he'll continue to fine-tune as he transitions to the pros.
"That's something that's kind of been emphasized, especially when you're struggling," Parascak said. "The chances were there for me a lot of the time when I was going through that... when that's not going, find that other part of my game that can be useful, because you get to a pro level, it's a lot harder to score goals, and if you go through a slump, you got to be able to do something else in the lineup to help the team."
This offseason, Parascak will head back to Alberta, where he'll train in Calgary and look to get bigger and stronger while working alongside NHLers in Jake DeBrusk, Dylan Holloway and Morgan Geekie.
Then, he'll return to D.C. in the fall for training camp, where he'll look to show the Capitals that he can live up to his potential.
"I think (I'm just looking forward to) showing that I can belong at this level," Parascak said, adding, "Just (going to) put my head down and work as hard as i can, and hopefully surprise a lot of people."
