The aging veteran Zach Parise still has what it takes to be a difference maker and a line driver in the playoffs.
The aging veteran Zach Parise still has what it takes to be a difference maker and a line driver in the playoffs.
At 39 years old, Zach Parise, the newest addition to the Colorado Avalanche lineup has become one of the club's secret weapons for the postseason. With over 1,200 regular season games and 111 career playoff games under his belt, the veteran forward brings the experience, leadership, and talent to help bring the Stanley Cup back to the Mile High City for the second time in three seasons.
The Avalanche brought in the veteran on a one-year, $825,000 contract. The deal provides the Avalanche a low-risk, high-reward type arrangement that should provide his new club with a very nice return on their investment.
In terms of performance, Parise is not what he once was, nor should anyone expect him to be. The Avalanche are littered with top-end performers like Mikko Rantanen, Cale Makar, and Nathan MacKinnon who are all capable of stealing the show and putting games away on their own accord.
Despite the high level of talent around him, his opposition should never count Parise out and underestimate him on a play. During the 2022-23 season, he played in all 82 games for the New York Islanders scoring 21 goals and 34 points while shooting at an 11.5 shooting percentage and averaging 16:09 minutes on ice per game.
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Though Parise will not always show up on the scoreboard, it is the little things on the ice that he does as an aging veteran that truly helps set his teammates up for success. As a member of the Islanders, he adapted to his new role as an aggressive forechecking forward. This type of aggressive player is something the Avalanche can always use and feed off of near the end of the regular season and into the playoffs when momentum can change with one strong shift on the ice.
The Minnesota native is clearly not ready to hang up the skates left and has plenty of fuel left in the tank heading into the final quarter of the regular season. With only a handful of games under his belt now this season, he should be well-rested and have a lot to offer his team in the postseason.
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