Parise, 39, ramping up towards NHL return
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At 39, Zach Parise is not ready to hang up his skates and is working towards an NHL return, TSN Hockey Insider Chris Johnston reports.
Parise became an unrestricted free agent in July after posting 21 goals and 34 assists in 82 games with the New York Islanders last season.
"He’s ramping up his training right now at home in Minnesota, with an eye on returning for that 19th season," Johnston said Thursday on Insider Trading. "And I think where this gets interesting is that the Islanders have kept the door open to Zach Parise. They wanted to bring him back for a third season this year. But in the meantime here, you’ve got other teams, and some teams with a legitimate chance of winning the Stanley Cup, that have entered the picture and expressed some interest in him.
"And so, when he does get to the point where he’s ready to return, ready to sign a contract, Zach Parise is going to have a decision to make, and that’s to try to go to a team, maybe, that he thinks has the best chance to win the Cup, or to stay loyal to the Islanders."
The Islanders currently sit second in the Metropolitan Division with a 14-7-7 record this season.
Parise has signed two straight one-year contract with the Islanders, having joined the team after being bought out by the Minnesota Wild in 2021.
In the days following the Islanders' first-round playoff exit in May, Parise was steadfast in his plans to play only for New York.
"It's here or nowhere," Parise said.
A first-round pick of the New Jersey Devils in 2003, Parise is a veteran of 1,224 NHL games, owning 429 goals and 879 points over his NHL career.
Parise, who has appeared in 111 career playoff games over his 18-year NHL career, is still seeking his first Stanley Cup.