The now 39-year-old Zach Parise remains without a contract and without a decision on his playing future. A season ago, Parise played in all 82 outings with the Islanders, tallying 21 goals and 13 helpers for 34 points.
Not a bad number for a 38-year-old playing third-line minutes on a league-minimum contract.
With those figures, it was obviously a no-brainer for Lou Lamoriello and the Islanders to want the veteran winger back for a third season on the Island.
That decision is now in Parise’s hands.
After the Islanders’ first-round elimination at the hands of Carolina Hurricanes this past April, Parise said, “I think it would be here or nowhere,” regarding his playing future. Now, over four months later and training camp just a few weeks away, there is still no word on Zach’s decision.
There are a few ways to look at this for Parise and the Isles.
- Isles Sign Parise To a One-Year, Vet Minimum Deal
This would be the most practical of the options for the Islanders to have Zach signed to the roster and know where they’re at with their group prior to camp, but the ball is in Zach’s court.
2. Isles Sign Parise to PTO
The Islanders could agree with Zach Parise on a professional tryout for the purpose of Zach to decide after a few team skates and pre-season games if he’d like to play another season. Makes total sense. We’ll see.
3. Zach Parise Retires
Of course, there’s the option that after 18 seasons and 1,224 games played that, Parise decides he has skated his final shift and hangs up the skates for good at age 39. There’s a good shot this is what Parise’s final decision will be.
With the Isles training camp opening in roughly two weeks, you would have to think Zach has to be close to a decision by now.
Only time will tell, but the Isles would for sure love to have the veteran back for a final season.
