The long-expected acquisition of Zach Parise appears to be nigh for the New York Islanders.
On Wednesday evening, the veteran left-winger told The Athletic’s Michael Russo that he agreed to terms on a deal to join the Islanders earlier this offseason. The financial parameters of the contract are unknown at this time while the 37-year-old is waiting for Islanders president and GM Lou Lamoriello to officially file the paperwork with the NHL. However, the deal is expected to have an average annual value (AAV) of somewhere near the $1 million mark as Lamoriello navigates his team’s tight salary cap space.
He is expected to arrive in New York later this month.
Russo’s report came shortly after the Islanders finally made some noise this offseason, officially announcing new deals for Casey Cizikas, Kyle Palmieri, Ilya Sorokin, and Anthony Beauvillier. As it stands, the team has somewhere between $2 million and $3 million in cap space with Parise’s deal still not official and the team needing another defenseman to fill the void left by trading away Nick Leddy.
It’s been a long time coming for Parise, whose father, J.P. played with the team for parts of four seasons between 1975-1978. The Islanders had a chance to draft Parise with the 15th overall pick in 2003, but they opted to go with goaltender Robert Nilsson, who appeared in just 53 games for the team.
Parise went 17th to the New Jersey Devils where he became an All-Star, accruing 410 points in 502 games before signing a massive 13-year deal with the Minnesota Wild. He spent nine years in Minnesota before he was bought out earlier this summer, posting 400 points in 558 games.
While he is coming off a career-worst season of seven goals and 11 assists, Parise is slated to fill in on the Islanders’ third line this season alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau and Oliver Wahlstrom. His new linemates are far more skilled and productive than his former line of Nico Sturm and Nick Bonino on Minnesota’s bottom unit.
