Zach Parise won't attend Islanders' training camp
For now, family is coming first for Zach Parise, who will not be at the Islanders’ training camp and has chosen to remain an unrestricted free agent.
That seemingly would indicate the 39-year-old Minnesota native has come to the end of a long, successful career that concluded with two seasons on Long Island, where his father, the late J.P. Parise, played from 1975-78.
But during his pre-camp news conference at Northwell Health Ice Center in East Meadow on Monday, Islanders president/general manager Lou Lamoriello said Parise is not yet officially retired and that the door is “always open” for his return.
“Zach Parise will not be here,” said Lamoriello, who selected Parise 17th overall in 2003 as the Devils’ president/general manager. “Zach will be with his family. We’ll see how the rest of the season goes. But right now, it’s important for him to be there. He’s spent a couple of years away.
“The door will always be open. To my knowledge, he is not retired. I think everybody knows the relationship that I have with Zach from when he was 17 years old. I understand, appreciate and respect the decision where he’s at.”
Lamoriello signed Parise to successive one-year, $1.5 million deals after the Wild bought out the final four seasons of his 13-year, $98 million pact.
He scored 21 goals with 13 assists last season and overall has 429 goals and 450 assists in 1,224 games over 18 seasons with the Devils, Wild and Islanders.
The first day on ice for Islanders training camp is Sept. 21.
During breakup day on May 1 after a six-game loss to the Hurricanes in the first round of the playoffs, Parise said he expected to either play for the Islanders this season “or nowhere.”
He also repeated how special it was for him to reinvigorate his career with the Islanders after being bought out by his hometown team.
“I’m fortunate that it worked out to be able to come here,” Parise said. “Most importantly, just enjoy coming to the rink again. You kind of rediscover why you love the game and what you love about it. I’m so grateful to be able to do that here.”
So, at least for now, the question becomes this: How do the Islanders replace Parise’s production, tenacity and consistency on Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s third line?
“I never look at anything like that — to fill somebody else,” Lamoriello said. “I think we have enough people here that have — and I hate the word potential — but to have a better year. And we have enough young people who are going to push some of our veterans.”
Lamoriello signed former Ranger Julien Gauthier, 25, to a two-year, $1.575 million deal on July 5, presumably as Parise’s replacement to skate with Pageau and, likely, Hudson Fasching.
But prospects William Dufour, Arnaud Durandeau, Ruslan Iskhakov and Matthew Maggio are among those who could push for a spot as well.
Plus, Oliver Wahlstrom is returning from a knee injury that knocked him out of the season’s final four months.
Still, Lamoriello left it up to Parise to decide whether he wants to return for a third season with the Islanders.
“When you have a player like that who loves the game and had the success he had, it’s a tough thing for him to make that decision,” Lamoriello said. “You allow him to go as long as you possibly can without pressing or asking. I think he made the right decision for his family. We’ll just keep the door open for him and, as I said to him, ‘We’ll keep your number [11] open, too.’ ”
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.
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