When the Islanders report for training camp a week from Wednesday, there will certainly be a noticeable absence from the two main groups who will get ready for the start of the 2023-24 season.
You won’t see a number 11 on the ice, because veteran forward Zach Parise will be home in Minnesota.
“Zach Parise will not be here,” said Islanders President and General Manager Lou Lamoriello during his pre-training camp press conference Monday at Northwell Health Training Center in East Meadow.
“Zach will be with his family. We’ll see how the rest of the season goes but right now it’s important for him to be there. He’s spent a couple of years away so that is the decision at this point.”
The door is certainly open for Parise to return to the Islanders at some point this season…it just won’t be at the start of training camp or even the start of the season. The bottom line is that while Parise will be away from the team for now, he has not called it a career.
“To my knowledge, he has not retired,” said Lamoriello. “In fact, I don’t feel he will at this point.”
A return of Parise at any point during the season would be huge for the Islanders. The 18-year NHL veteran brought hustle, intensity and a strong work ethic to the Islanders during his two seasons in orange and blue.
Last season, Parise played all 82 regular season games and was a big contributor to the Isles with 21 goals and was a +7. To start training and the season, Lamoriello is confident that there are enough options to pick up the slack in Parise’s absence.
“We have enough people here that I think have the, and I hate the word potential, to have a better year,” said Lamoriello. “We have enough people here who are young people who are going to push some of our veterans who have the ability to score.”
Parise became a fan favorite over the last two years and he will certainly be missed in Islanders Country. He could have been an Islander a long time ago. The Minneapolis native was drafted by the Devils 17th overall in the 2003 draft after the Islanders had passed on taking the son of JP Parise who scored the overtime goal to eliminate the Rangers in the 1975 playoffs. With the 15th pick, the Islanders took center/left wing Robert Nilsson two spots before Lamoriello, the Devils GM at the time, grabbed Parise. There has been a long-standing respect between the two and Lou is going to give Parise all the time in the world to decide on his future.
“I think everybody knows the relationship that I have with Zach from when he was 17 years old,” said Lamoriello. “You allow it to go as long as you possibly can without pressing or asking and I think he made the right decision for his family. We’ll keep the door open for him and as I said to him, we’ll keep your number open too.”
So, when training camp starts next week, you won’t see a number 11 skating around either the Arbour Rink or Torrey Rink at the Islanders’ practice facility in Eisenhower Park. But you certainly can’t rule out the return of Zach Parise at some point during the season if he chooses to do so.
Isles News and Notes:
Lou Lamoriello discussed some other Islanders related topics during his press conference on Monday.
*The only PTO (Player Tryout Offer) who the Islanders will bring to training camp is 25-year-old center Jackson Cates who played last season for the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, the AHL affiliate of the Flyers.
*Rookie camp will begin this Wednesday with physicals and then the first day of practice is Thursday at Northwell Health Training Center. It will include every prospect still on an entry-level contract along with all prospects and draft picks. Players on AHL contracts will be in a different group when Islanders training camp begins.
*Defenseman Alexander Romanov should be ready for training camp but if he’s not it will be close.
“He’s skating and he’s doing everything,” said Lamoriello. “We’ll be as cautious as we possibly can. If it was up to him, he would play with two broken legs.”
*Right wing Oliver Wahlstrom is healthy for the start of training camp.
“He’s certainly a player that we’re excited to have back,” said Lamoriello. “He’s put a great summer in. He’s 100%.”