Parise Picks Avs in Cup Pursuit

Take a screenshot. The present-day equivalent to save a press clipping.

We start there and The Athletics Michael Russo with Minnesota play-by-play voice Anthony LaPanta’s podcast “Worst Seats in the House” podcast aptly titled January, 23^rd episode “Press Clippings” and news that UFA Zac Parise, recovered from injury, would sign with Colorado. Friday, that week, the move is officially announced by the Avs on an 825K cap hit bonus free 1-yr deal.

Parise, 39, off back-to-back 30+ PT campaigns with the Isles; including 21Gs a year ago. His anticipated debut as a likely bottom-6 player will begin against a familiar rival Monday as Colorado plays the Rangers in MSG, prior to meeting NJ on Tuesday, where Parise plays against the team that drafted him in 17^th overall in 2003. The last year NJ won the Stanley Cup.

Parise’s 18-year NHL career includes one SC Final appearance in 2012. The Devils lost to LA in 6. 8G 15PTS in 24GP in the playoffs that year that production wise was 2^nd points-per-game to the 7G 10PTS in 11GP in the 2006-07 playoffs. Even his two most productive over point-per-game regular szns were with Jersey highlighted by his 45G 94PTS in 82GP in 2008-09.

Parise after racking up another of his 4+ 30G campaigns and the career-high 45G one; signed as an UFA with Minnesota, his hometown team in July, 2012, after going to his only Cup Final with NJ. Parise had 1-30G szn with the Wild before current GM Bill Guerin bought out Parise in July 2021 with 4-yrs left on the 13-year pact inked under former MN GM Chuck Fletcher.

While fans in NJ probably never forgave Parise; The GM who drafted him; then NJ GM and current NYI GM Lou Lamoriello did as he signed Parise on back-to-back 750K deals. Parise chasing his elusive Cup opts to sign with Colorado not the Isles that a look at the standings and recent Cup winners is rather common sense.

It was interesting as I listened to former NHLer Eric Lacroix on the DNVR Avalanche Podcast mention the desire for a winning team to band behind a veteran never Cup winner to get him one. The best Avs example would be the deadline add of longtime Boston Bruin, HHOFer, Ray Bourque to get his ring.

The parallels however fail to mesh because of this distinction. Bourque played his whole career with the team that drafted him that agreed to together to see if they could accomplish Bourque’s dream because Boston’s inability to do so over a storied career.

Parise’s closest chance was the team he opted as a UFA to leave and has in some karmic justice never got close to hoisting Stanley by putting his playing for his hometown in Minnesota as his top priority and not staying on a competitive team that was in the Finals and closer to a Championship when Parise packed his bags and moved home. Simply, Parise called his shot and put himself over the team.

The parallel for Avs fans might be to look at now Dallas Star Matt Duchene and would seeing him win a Cup give Colorado the feels? I hope not. The 33-yr old, 3^rd overall 2009 Avs pick asked out of a Colorado rebuild leading to the 3-way trade deal early into the 2017-18 szn with Ottawa and Nashville that Colorado added Cup winners Sam Girard and Bowen Byram in return by making. Duchene’s 9^th szn in Colorado lasting 14GP.

Ottawa flipped Duchene at the next trade deadline and he was a point-per-game player with CBJ in 10 playoff GPs. Duchene’s heart was in Nashville and he signed an 8M 7-yr deal rather than stay in CBJ. This past summer it was new Nashville GM Barry Trotz who opted to buyout Duchene with 3-yrs remaining. There was the career-high 43G 86PTS in 78GP 2021-22 campaign as a Pred – the only over point-per-game regular szn Duchene has had. That after getting paid 8M to put up 6G’s in 34GP the shortened szn prior low point in Nashville. Dallas steps in nabs the UFA Duchene on a 1-yr 3M deal.

And the reasoning here that Devils and Wild fans might not like to see Parise snag a ring in Colorado – comparable to how likely Avs and Preds fans rather not see Duchene sip from Stanley. Nashville fans would also dislike Duchene’s current teammate Ryan Suter winning it as well and “let’s go crazy” as Prince sang - full circle with this.

Its Suter, 39-yrs old, who choose back in 2012 with Parise to sign for the home state Minnesota team after what was consider at least a verbal agreement to re-sign with the team Suter was drafted by Nashville 7^th overall in 2003. Suter and Parise both inking 13-year deals with the Wild. Same buyout by MN GM Guerin and a 3.65M 4-yr deal prior to next szns play with Dallas for Suter.

The only way it could be more complete is if Parise joined Dallas not Colorado – yet it serves it purpose to remind Avs fans 2 players of the return in the Duchene trade were part of Colorado’s 2022 Cup Winner. The team Duchene refused to stay for a rebuild successfully completed it before Duchene won a Cup – his departure part of how the Avs did.

Duchene has like Parise and Suter picked the team they most wanted to play for in the NHL instead of the team that drafted each of them. They are all-stars. They all have made bank on good NHL careers. None have won a Stanley Cup.

Back to Eric Lacroix and this idea of winning a Cup for a vet Cup-less player that makes sense at a surface level or that best Ray Bourque exception to the rule example. At some point Parise, Duchene, and Suter put their individual player desires before the team in their careers. It is exactly a roadmap on how not to win a Stanley Cup and it will not have an all around “feel good moment” if they do.