New Jersey Devils' GM Lou Lamoriello disappointed to lose Zach Parise, but confident -NHL Update
Losing a player of Zach Parise’s calibre is always a disappointment, especially when it was due to financial constraints being faced by the team, but New Jersey Devils’ general manager, Lou Lamoriello, is still confident that his team will prevail despite
the tremendous loss.
After signing with Minnesota Wild this past week to a huge 13-year, $98 million contract, Zach Parise surprised not only Lamoriello but the whole National Hockey League (NHL) as well.
"He was our captain. He was our leader," Lamoriello said. "He was a prototype Devil player the way he played. He was a great example for younger players. It's a loss, without question, besides the points he put up. That's an understatement and we'll leave
it at that."
Having the combination of Zach Parise in front and Martin Brodeur in the net, New Jersey Devils had an unstoppable mix of elite scoring and remarkable goaltending, but now only half of that equation remains. Devils need a backup and are looking for a player
that may be able to fill in the gaping hole left by Parise.
"There are a lot of considerations -- family, future, promises, future businesses," Lamoriello added. "You don't compete with it. You just put forward the experiences they've had with you and you try to do the best job you can of being honest. You can only
point out what is best in your opinion, but you never derail or talk about somebody else negatively."
Zach Parise was picked up by New Jersey Devils back in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft as the 17th overall pick. In the seven seasons he had with the team, the 27-year-old put up an amazing 410 point (194 goals, 216 assists) record in 502 games played
and 177 minutes in the penalty box.
There are some players on the Devils’ squad, like Ilya Kovalchuk, who will be needed more when the 2012-2013 regular season kicks off, but there is only so much they can do. Looking for an elite forward is next on the Devils to-do list and anything could
be expected by them in the upcoming days.
Tags: