Zach Parise eager to stick around for Islanders' playoff push

The NHL trade deadline on March 3 is rapidly approaching and Zach Parise is playing on his second straight one-year deal for the Islanders. Yet the impending unrestricted free agent seemed genuinely surprised when asked about possibly being moved or if he’s had any discussions with president/general manager Lou Lamoriello on the subject.

“I mean, we’re right in the [playoff] mix,” Parise told Newsday. “So I don’t think those conversations will happen. No, I love playing here. Ideally, no. You want to be a part of this group and be a part of a playoff push and a playoff run with this group of people.”

The Islanders faced the Jets on Wednesday night at UBS Arena as they tried to cling to the Eastern Conference’s first wild-card spot.

Parise, 38, who has dressed for all 61 games just as he played in all 82 games last season, is logging crucial minutes for the Islanders with fellow forwards Mathew Barzal, Josh Bailey, Jean-Gabriel Pageau, Cal Clutterbuck and Oliver Wahlstrom injured. Wednesday marked his fourth game on Brock Nelson’s second line with Kyle Palmieri.

“I had played with [Palmieri] a little bit but actually had never played with Brock,” Parise said. “I feel it’s three guys that go up and down. There’s not a ton of east-west stuff.”

Parise is also the net-front presence on the second-power play unit as well as a valuable penalty killer.

He entered Wednesday with 15 goals, matching last season’s total, and nine assists. Lamoriello, who selected Parise 17th overall for the Devils in 2003, signed him to a one-year, $1.5 million deal after Parise’s hometown Minnesota Wild bought out the final four seasons of his 13-year, $98 million deal in 2021 and then re-signed him to an identical contract for this season.

Parise came to the Islanders with questions about his declining productivity and frustration over his final seasons with the Wild.

“It’s been great,” Parise said of joining the Islanders. “Standings aside, last year was great. And this year we find ourselves in the mix. You can’t assemble 23 better guys. It’s such a great locker room to come into and easy. You never know what you’re getting yourself into and it’s been awesome.”

So, presuming Parise remains with the Islanders through the trade deadline — and he expressed to Lamoriello before last season’s trade deadline he did not want to be moved — what about next season?

Parise fills a valuable role for the Islanders at a very team-friendly price. But Parise’s wife and children still live in Minnesota and he’ll turn 39 before the start of training camp.

“At this point, it has nothing to do with money and that’s why it’s been so enjoyable,” Parise said. “I wanted to enjoy playing hockey again. It’s gone way above and beyond that. As far as next year, I don’t know. The body feels good, I feel good. We’ll see.”

Coach Lane Lambert said the way Parise has contributed for the Islanders is what was expected when he was signed.

“That’s probably the biggest thing that he’s done is he’s just viewed it as a fresh start,” Lambert said. “As a player gets older, with more experience, there are moments when you can help a team in a different way than you used to do when you were a younger player and he understands that. That’s how he is able to do what he’s doing. He understands his role and what he brings to the team. He’s doing a great job of it.”

By Andrew Gross

andrew.gross@newsday.comAGrossNewsday

Andrew Gross joined Newsday in 2018 to cover the Islanders. He began reporting on the NHL in 2003 and has previously covered the Rangers and Devils. Other assignments have included the Jets, St. John’s and MLB.