Can Devils Fans Separate Zach Parise Heartbreak From Achievements?

This week, New York Islanders GM Lou Lamoriello announced that veteran Zach Parise was not expected to be at training camp. The former star player had a decent season on Long Island, putting up 21 goals for a team looking for offense. He’s apparently not retiring, but he will be one of the many star players looking for jobs in the middle of the season.

This situation got us thinking. As we approach the end for Parise, how will he look in the larger scope regarding his New Jersey Devils tenure? Of course, there is still a lot of hate amongst Devils fans, but realistically, he wasn’t even the most egregious free-agency loss in team history.

Bobby Holik left the Devils for a $45 million deal with their direct rivals, the New York Rangers. That went pretty terribly, and Holik eventually finished his career in New Jersey. Scott Gomez made a similar move, signing for seven years and $51.5 million. He eventually returned and was embraced with open arms when his career was at its lowest point. John MacLean signed with the Rangers after the Devils traded him to San Jose. He came back and coached for the team (terribly, but still).

So what made these three situations different, besides the fact that they signed with the Devils biggest rival? Of course, the way Parise went about it wasn’t the greatest. There were rumors about Parise texting with Ryan Suter. There has been a lot of denial around that, but two players signing for the exact same contract with the same team four days into the process is definitely suspicious.

If Parise retires, would the Devils honor him? He played seven seasons in New Jersey and scored 410 points. He helped drag that 2012 team to the Stanley Cup Final. There were plenty of amazing moments during his Devils tenure.

However, the one thing Holik, MacLean, and Gomez had that Parise doesn’t is a championship. They all brought the happiest moments of our sports lives. Parise never did that. In fact, when he got the closest, he left just weeks later. This was a team on the brink of winning another title, and he left them in the middle of his prime.

Of course, the following events didn’t help Parise’s standing with Devils fans. Ilya Kovalchuk left the next season with more than 10 years left on his deal. A long rebuild started that really didn’t end until last season. It all started in 2012 when Parise left. They made the playoffs just twice in 11 seasons since he left. That’s obviously not his fault, but it didn’t help how we feel about him.

To answer the question, Parise might have better standing if he embraces his Devils past. He could do a signing or two, spend time at the Prudential Center, and even let the Devils honor him for a night. At least for a moment, the boos would turn into cheers and we could look back fondly at his seven years in New Jersey. There will be some fans who never forgive, but many will eventually let time heal this wound.