One of the first acquisitions before the trade deadline has begun for the Colorado Avalanche.
The Avs announced Friday night before their matchup against the Los Angeles Kings they’d signed Zach Parise to a one-year contract. Parise won’t be available for the team tonight but will be available for selection after the NHL All-Star Break.
The 39-year-old forward was a free agent after “retiring” at the end of last season with the New York Islanders. The Minnesota Wild and New Jersey Devils legend has 429 career goals, along with 450 assists in 1,224 games. He is a veteran of the league – rightfully so – and brings much-needed experience to a team looking for veteran help.
General Manager Chris MacFarland, Joe Sakic, and Jared Bednar were likely looking for another Andrew Cogliano-esque player to provide such feats. This move does so. He will also bring in the occasional depth scoring needed from the fourth line, and will likely fill Kurtis MacDermid’s spot on the fourth line.
He should be better than MacDermid at forward. Just last season with the Isles, he had 21 goals and 13 assists. If he can score at a similar pace with just under half the season to go, Avs fans should be delighted by the move.
Parise also comes in at a cheap price, only $825K on the cap. With the Avs already limited with cap space, this is a solid depth move coming in at a low price with a high upside. We’ll see if he sticks for this season and maybe into the next, but for now, it is a solid depth move by Colorado to give them a few more options.