Avalanche signal Zach Parise to deal for remainder of the season

Zach Parise is again. And this time it is going to be with the Colorado Avalanche because the membership introduced Friday the signing of the 39-year-old winger for the remainder of the season.

Parise, who spent the previous two years with the New York Islanders, has been and not using a membership for the reason that begin of the season. He completed with 21 targets and 13 assists in 82 video games in 2022-23, the eleventh season of his profession of 20 or extra targets.

“We’re excited so as to add Zach to our group,” Avalanche common supervisor Chris MacFarland mentioned in a press release. “Over his spectacular NHL profession, Zach has all the time been a extremely aggressive and pushed ahead who is tough to play in opposition to. We sit up for including his veteran presence to our locker room.”

Signing Parise, who has by no means gained a Stanley Cup, for the rest of the season accomplishes a number of objects for an Avalanche crew that’s looking for to win its second Cup prior to now three years.

Arguably essentially the most pivotal situation dealing with the Avalanche of their bid to win one other title has been the shortage of secondary scoring. It proved to be among the many causes for his or her failure to defend their title final season as they had been ousted within the first spherical of the playoffs. It was one thing MacFarland and his entrance workplace rapidly moved to deal with within the offseason after they acquired Ross Colton, Jonathan Drouin, Ryan Johansen and Miles Wooden.

Their arrivals grew to become much more very important with the Avalanche beginning the season with out captain Gabriel Landeskog, who sustained a proper knee damage that has required two surgical procedures, the newest coming in Could. The final time the 31-year-old performed for the Avs was throughout their Cup run in 2022. Earlier this month, he skated with the Avs with the understanding that he’s nowhere near returning to recreation motion.

Stars similar to Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Mikko Rantanen have continued to supply scoring punch for the Avalanche. MacKinnon leads the Avs and is second within the NHL with 82 factors. Rantanen is second on the crew in factors whereas Makar is third.

Though their secondary scoring has been elusive at occasions this season, the Avalanche nonetheless entered Friday’s motion with eight gamers who’ve every scored greater than 10 targets and eight gamers with 20 or extra factors.

Parise may additionally assist the Avalanche doubtlessly fill a part of the void left by Valeri Nichushkin of their lineup. The hulking, two-way winger, who has 22 targets and 20 assists this season, stepped away from the crew on Jan. 15 to enter the NHL/NHLPA participant help program for an indefinite interval.

Getting into Friday, the Avalanche (31-14-3) had been in second place within the Central Division. They had been tied with the first-place Winnipeg Jets on factors, however the Jets have performed two fewer video games. The Avs are additionally 4 factors behind the Boston Bruins and Vancouver Canucks within the race for the Presidents’ Trophy having final gained the award in the course of the 2021-22 season, the identical yr they gained their third Stanley Cup.