Former New Jersey Devils captain Zach Parise will turn 39 at the end of July and is said to be contemplating the future of his playing career. Could he reunite with the team that made him a star?
It feels like it was just yesterday when former New Jersey Devils Zach Parise turned tail to the Minnesota Wild and signed a 13-year, $98 million contract. The Devils were coming off of a six-game Stanley Cup Final loss to the Los Angeles Kings when Parise, the captain at the time, made the decision to leave. In fact, it was 11 years ago to the day.
Since then, he hasn’t made it past the second round of the playoffs. After being bought out by the Wild, Zach Parise reunited with former Devils GM Lou Lamoriello when he signed with the New York Islanders. The Islanders missed the playoffs in 2022 and were handily defeated in the first round this season, so Parise’s opportunities to win a Stanley Cup are rapidly dwindling.
What’s you’re favorite Zach Parise goal and why is it when he broke his stick in Montreal in OT and then proceeded to get a new one from the bench with then led to him scoring on a beautiful breakaway pic.twitter.com/uADJqv3KJG
— lauren (@njdlauren) July 13, 2021
At this juncture, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that the New Jersey Devils are closer to competing for a Stanley Cup than the New York Islanders. The Carolina Hurricanes eliminated both squads, but a revamped Devils team could see Zach Parise be part of the solution in 2023-24.
Parise has played all 82 games in each of the last two seasons, scoring over 30 points in both. The 2022-23 season saw Zach Parise reach the 20-goal plateau for the first time since the 2019-20 season, so it doesn’t appear that the wily vet is out of gas just yet. Parise clearly still has the scoring touch that endeared him to New Jersey Devils fans back in the day and would bring a very high level of playmaking and special teams play to a Devils team that needs both.
Do it, Fitz #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/hHbMZuaWeK
— Jon (@ByJonBailey) July 3, 2023
For their long-term outlook, it is important for the New Jersey Devils that Zach Parise doesn’t block the growth of their up-and-coming prospects. Right now, the Devils have two spots for Parise to fill – either the fourth-line left wing or the third-line right wing. Barring any signings, including Zach Parise, Nolan Foote and Alex Holtz are expected to fill those spots.
Tomas Tatar seems to be on the way out, and Zach Parise still averaged a minute more of ice time than Tatar in 2022-23 despite his advanced age. If Zach Parise is concerned about taking care of his physical health this late in his career, he could be willing to settle for a rotation with either Foote or Holtz.
In addition, Zach Parise could be coming up on a few milestones. Parise currently has 879 points in 1224 games played, leaving him 21 shy of 900. Zach Parise scored 194 goals in 502 games in seven years as a Devil, leaving him six shy of 200. Even in nine years with the Minnesota Wild, Parise only managed 199. Rejoining the Devils and scoring his 200th goal would show Devils fans where Zach Parise really loves to play. As a Devil, Parise wore #9, and as a Wild and Islander, Parise wore #11. Both numbers are currently available on the New Jersey Devils as of this writing. #9 was last worn by Taylor Hall in 2020, and #11 was last worn by Andreas Johnsson for nine total minutes in 2022.
If Zach Parise still has a burning desire to win a Stanley Cup and go out on a high note, the New Jersey Devils might be the only place left for him to do that. Plus, it would be one hell of a redemption arc.