What will the New York Islanders do if Zach Parise decides not to return for a 19th NHL season? Our Stefen Rosner provides some potential answers.

The best ability is availability, and Zach Parise has embodied that over his two-year tenure with the New York Islanders.

The now 39-year-old didn't miss a single game over the last two seasons, playing all 164 games, not including the six games against the Carolina Hurricanes this past postseason.

Although the production wasn't there in the first half of 2021-22 -- with just three goals in the first 39 games -- Parise finished that campaign with 15 goals and 20 assists for 35 points. 

He stayed hot in 2022-23 -- consistent, rather-- potting 21 goals with 13 assists in 82 games, winning his second straight Bobby Nystrom Award given to the Islander who best exemplifies leadership, hustle, and dedication.

"Zach is just the standard, really, off the ice, especially just the way he treats his body," Barzal said. "He works out more than probably anybody, focuses on the game at all times, and he's just a pro.

"So I think every guy in that room, no matter if you're a young guy or in your 30s, everyone's taking a little piece from Zach's work ethic."

A third-line winger alongside Jean-Gabriel Pageau on paper, Parise did it all for the Blue and Orange on two league-minimum deals.

Former Islanders head coach Barry Trotz joked as he was leaving a press conference during the 2021-22 season that Parise would play goalie if asked. They would just need to provide him with the equipment. 

When the 2022-23 season ended with a devastating overtime loss in Game Six of Round One, who knew if Parise would play another NHL game?

He didn't even know. 

"I think it would be here or nowhere," Parise said during his end-of-season media session. "I just feel like that's how it would be."

Islanders general manager Lou Lamoriello, who drafted Parise with the New Jersey Devils' 17th pick at the 2003 NHL Draft, shared ahead of the 2023 NHL Draft in Nashville that Parise had still not made a decision. 

While there's no timetable for when Parise will make a decision -- and it should not be a shock if Parise is on the ice come training camp with no formal announcement prior -- there should be no shock if Parise does hang up the skates.

READ MORE: Mave's Thoughts on Zach Parise's Future

It won't be easy for the Islanders to fill all the roles Parise potentially leaves behind. 

But whoever head coach Lane Lambert chooses to fill the third-line role could also get an opportunity on the penalty kill. 

The talk of the town this summer has been Anders Lee and his "inability" to play in the top six anymore. One could make the argument that Lee doesn't have the foot speed to keep up with the likes of Bo Horvat and Mathew Barzal and is better suited playing a middle-six role, whether on the second line alongside Brock Nelson and Kyle Palmieri or potentially on the third line with Jean-Gabriel Pageau.

But, if we are being realistic, Pierre Engvall is playing with Nelson and Palmieri until that threesome gives Lambert a reason to break them up.

And, with Pageau still on the team despite his name coming up in trade rumors since the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, the Islanders third line will remain the shutdown line.

Lee is not suited for that role, and with the failure to bring in a legitimate top-line sniper this summer, Lee is likely to stay on the top line to start the season. 

So, that means Parise's "third line" role could be for the taking.

On the right side of Pageau, the likely answer will be Oliver Wahlstrom, who missed the final four months of the season with a knee injury.

Lamoriello was adamant that Wahlstrom would be ready for camp. 

On the left, it will be a battle between a handful of players, but Hudson Fasching may have the upper hand. 

Although he is a right winger by trade, Fasching's versatility should allow him to transition without a drop-off in his play.

Fasching, who burst onto the scene in early December, earned himself not just a starting role but a two-year extension and has the defensive mindset to fill Parise's role at five-on-five.

His tenacity on each shift and decisive decision-making in all three zones was very Parise-esque, and that's not something that can be taught. 

Although Fasching only has 87 career NHL games under his belt and has yet to be a starter for a full season, the 28-year-old did score 10 goals with 9 assists in 49 games, a 17-goal, 15-assist season (32 points) throughout 82 games.

Fasching played most of his minutes on the fourth line in Clutterbuck's absence while he dealt with many injuries. When Clutterbuck did return, the Wisconsin-turned Minnesotan played on the third line with Wahlstrom on the shelf. 

Clutterbuck, 35, has one more season left on his deal, and the Islanders will likely allow the identity line of Martin-Cizikas-Clutterbuck to start 2023-24, which means Fasching is either playing a third-line role or is an extra.

But given how much of a difference maker Fasching was when in the lineup, forcing Lambert to keep him in even when players did return from injury, and then a contract extension makes it hard to believe he won't have a home in the starting lineup. 

"He works extremely hard. And he's worked really hard to be here and stay in the lineup and compete every night and make a difference every night, and there's a reason why he's playing such great hockey and made a stamp on our team this season," Lee said back in March. 

Before we dive into what Fasching can bring on the penalty kill, here's some background information. 

This past season, the Islanders owned the ninth-best penalty kill in the league, at 82.2 percent, and Parise played a significant role.

The Islanders allowed the second-fewest power-play goals in the league, 39, taking the third-fewest penalties (219).

Parise played the second-most minutes on the penalty kill amongst the Islanders forwards and was on the ice for just 12 of the 39 goals against (30.8%).

Not only that, but Parise potted two short-handed goals and was on the ice for four of the Islanders' six.

So, who takes Parise's spot on the penalty kill if he isn't back?

There are a plethora of options, from the long-reaching Pierre Engvall to sniper Brock Nelson to Cal Clutterbuck and Kyle Palmieri. 

But Fasching can't be out of the penalty-kill discussion.

That tenacity that led to effective five-on-five play would give the opponent's power play a ton of issues, whether that be winning board battles, stripping pucks at the Islanders blue line, or giving up the body.

Fasching, like Cizikas, doesn't stop moving his feet, which could be of value in getting New York back to even strength quicker than two minutes, drawing eight penalties last season. 

There's another intriguing name to point out: Simon Holmstrom.

The 22-year-old made his NHL debut this past season, playing 50 games with six goals and three assists. 

Although the offense was non-existent for most of the season, his defensive game showed that he has the potential to be a solid bottom-six forward.

The Islanders thought they were getting more of a two-way forward when they used their 23rd overall pick in 2019 on this Swede, but at this moment in time, his offense is unreliable. 

It's quite possible that Holmstrom can add more offense to his game in year two, as he told me at the end of the season that he's "got way more to give."

Holmstrom has a challenging task coming up in about a month because he very well could find himself in Bridgeport to start the season due to the Islanders' cap situation and him being waiver-exempt. 

READ MORE: Why Islanders May Start Holmstrom in Bridgeport This Season

Although Holmstrom may not provide the offense that Parise did, he certainly can play the responsible game Parise has played for 18 seasons.

Like Fasching, Holmstrom doesn't necessarily need to transition to left wing to fill Parise's role. Wahlstrom could play on Pageau's left, especially if the Islanders want to see him playing on Horvat's left at some point in the near future. 

However, Holmstrom does need to improve on his tenacity, especially in corners on the forecheck. 

He got off to a fast start in that regard, but then a scary knee injury led to Holmstrom missing six games, and his confidence seemed to take a hit upon his return as he just seemed a bit passive.

"His intelligence, it's high, and he's putting himself in the right position to not only make plays offensively but makes plays defensively," Lambert said back in November. 

That defensive positioning and understanding is why Holmstrom could also be an option on the penalty kill if he makes the team.

While it seems that Fasching has a stronger chance at filling Parise's role than Holmstrom, the penalty kill isn't something that should be a major concern with the likes of Horvat, Nelson, Engvall, a healthy Clutterbuck to support Pageau and Cizikas, who will man the top unit. 

It's worth mentioning that Parise did get power-play time as the net-front presence on the second unit. 

Although Fasching won't be the first option to fill that role, he has the mold to do so. 

If Parise calls it a career, training camp will determine a lot, given the depth signings Lamoriello made this summer, bringing in Julien Gauthier, Karson Kuhlman, and Brian Pinho. That's not to say either of those three crack the starting lineup come Oct. 14 when the Islanders host the Buffalo Sabres, but there will be significantly more competition at camp than there was a year ago.

The question will be, who comes out on top, and if that said player gets a chance to be Parise 2.0 (if that's even possible), do they run with it?

Join Stefen Rosner's New York Islanders page on Bunches, a new app that connects sports fans. Also, you can listen to Rosner talk Islanders hockey on Hockey Night in New York with co-host Sean Cuthbert Sunday nights at 8 PM ET during the season.