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Your Devils comments: What to do with Zach Parise?

Highlighting the best Devils comments on NJ.com

Devils beat writer Rich Chere posted an article assessing the Devils at the All-Star break. Among the topics: Marty Brodeur's future, Pete DeBoer's coaching abilities, and the status of Zach Parise. On the last, he wrote, "The good news is he’s been terrific in his comeback from knee surgery and lost 2010-11 season. The bad news is he’ll be an unrestricted free agent July 1 and it will be dangerous if the Devils allow him to test the market. He likes the organization and, relax, he won’t be traded at the deadline. But the odds of him staying? 50-50."

Even though Chere wrote that he won't be traded at the deadline, that still hasn't stopped fans from speculating what the Devils could get in return for a Parise trade.

A sampling of comments follow. NJ.com user tom74:

I love having ZP on this team. He is great player no doubt. It just reminds me a bit of Brian Gionta when he had a couple of good years and then is back to average now. Zach had a great season a couple of years ago and I hope he hits that level again someday. I just don't think it will happen.

WasabiPeanut:

If we HAD to trade Zach (ie. Lou threw his best offer at him and he said no), I like LA for Bernier or Vancouver for Schnieder (we need to start thinking the goalie of the future) with picks and prospects. I'd love to see Zach in a Devils Jersey the rest of his career, but letting him go for nothing would set this franchise back a few seasons.

squidboy:

Agree with many of the posters above. Lou CANNOT risk losing Zach at the end of the season for nothing. If he is not signed 1 week before the deadlne Lou has to trade him and get what he can.

Is Zach really worth $8 Million per year? I love the guy but you have to think with your head and not your heart on this one. As skilled as he is, the majority of what he brings comes from hard work and battling. As he gets older, those things will become much tougher for him. It would be a bit different if he was 6' 3" but he is around 5' 10" and he will wear down. He seems to be the right type of leader you want for your team, but since he's been here where has he really led them? It's not all on Zach, but his success in big games and the playoffs is not exactly stellar.

I see Zach as a $6 million per type of player. $8 million is Ovechkin type of money and I don't think there is anyone on these posts that thinks Zach is the same quality player is Ovechkin.

This team has so many holes, trading Zach may fill a number of those for years to come. This is a really tough call but unfortunately Lou did not lock him up years ago at a lower cost and now it's come down to this.

And lastly, DiVo:

I said it before and I'll say it again, the emergence of Adam Henrique especially since he's a 'natural winger' has made Zach expendable. Lou is smart and he realizes now that he's in the drivers seat. He's going to openly make Zach available to about 4 or 5 Cup contending teams a week before the trade deadline and pull the trigger with whomever comes through with the best offer.

Top priority is a stud goalie and a 1st or 2nd round draft pick, or a big offensive defenseman and a 1st or 2nd round draft pick. My gut tells me Vancouver might deliver the best offer based on how badly they would like to make up for their game 7 embarrassment last year vs Boston. Schneider and possibly a defenseman or two draft picks. Zach gets his cup, we get our goalie and picks to make up for what the league ripped from us, Kovy becomes captain and the 1st line superstar left wing and Henrique falls in line and becomes the next Zach. Everybody wins!!

What do you think? Should the Devils make a greater effort to sign him or trade him? How much is he worth (be it in a contract with the Devils or in a trade)? Sound off!

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Devils at the All-Star break: Martin Brodeur's future, Zach Parise in limbo and more

A look at where the Devils stand at the halfway point

The All-Star break would have been so much rosier had the Devils not lost their last three games. Their offense went into hibernation early, their confidence was rattled and their chance to gain a firm grip on a playoff spot was put on hold.

On a positive note, they’ve come a long way in one year. After 48 games they are 26-19-3 for 55 points and in eighth place in the Eastern Conference. At the same point last season they were 16-29-3 for 35 points and 15th in the conference.

MARTY'S FUTURE

Goaltender Martin Brodeur, who is in the final season of his contract and turns 40 on May 6, didn’t know if he wanted to play beyond 2011-12. He says he’s having fun and is leaning toward coming back. He’s looking for a big second half.

“I’d love to sit here and say I’m really happy about the way I played, but the fact is there were a lot of games I’d like to have back. A few goals here and there,” he says. “It took a while for me to be consistent, but I’ve found that in my game. I feel every day I play the same way, regardless of whether we win or lose. That’s where I wanted to get.
“From there, I think I’ll be able to really step it up and get wins for this team. It took a while with my (shoulder) injury early on, and not playing as much, too, in back-to-backs. They played (Johan Hedberg), with good reason. He’s been really good. I’m real happy with what’s going on right now, where I’m at with my game.”
He is 14-12-2 with a 2.77 goals-against average and no shutouts.

THE GOOD

1. The coach is a keeper. Pete DeBoer has done a solid job in keeping the team in the race despite key injuries. He’s both liked and respected by his players and that’s important when it comes to Ilya Kovalchuk, Zach Parise and Martin Brodeur.

2. David Clarkson’s production. With 16 goals, he’s going to break his career high of 17 and should surpass his best points total of 32. This guy’s a throwback to a different era.

3. Rookies Adam Henrique and Adam Larsson. Henrique was called up Oct. 22 and assumed the role of first-line center. Larsson started strong but has found being a teenage defenseman in the NHL isn’t easy. Too bad both pulled out of All-Star weekend.

THE BAD

1. Injuries. We know, every team deals with them. But they’ve been hit hard on defense (Henrik Tallinder and Andy Greene) and at center (Travis Zajac and Jacob Josefson). It looks like a lost season for Zajac with his Achilles. DeBoer has his fingers crossed that Adam Henrique’s groin injury isn’t chronic.

2. Short-handed goals. Although they still lead the league with 12 against, they seem to have clamped down on the problem. They haven’t allowed one since Jan. 2 in Ottawa.

3. Facing the conference’s elite. With a combined 1-6 record against the Bruins, Flyers and Rangers, the Devils simply cannot consider themselves one of the conference’s top clubs. Looks like they’re fighting for playoff spots six through eight.

FIRST-HALF MVPs

Two players have been equally indispensable for the Devils. Adam Henrique not only filled a void as first-line center, but he also has three game-winning and four short-handed goals. After missing all of last season with a concussion, defenseman Bryce Salvador has been an underrated force on defense with his team-leading plus-9 rating and veteran presence.

PARISE IN LIMBO

The good news is he’s been terrific in his comeback from knee surgery and lost 2010-11 season. The bad news is he’ll be an unrestricted free agent July 1 and it will be dangerous if the Devils allow him to test the market. He likes the organization and, relax, he won’t be traded at the deadline. But the odds of him staying? 50-50.

TWO TO WATCH

1. We were dazzled and also dumbfounded by Ilya Kovalchuk at various points in the first half. Does he carry this team down the stretch?

2. Petr Sykora (12 goals) leads the Devils with four game-winners and has been a factor in Patrik Elias’s solid season. Sykora is 35, so we’ll be watching to see if he runs out of gas when he’s needed most.

Rich Chere: rchere@starledger.com; twitter.com/Ledger_NJDevils

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