As our Devils blog, In Lou We Trust, noted this evening: it might be time for fans in New Jersey to panic.
Time To Panic: Zach Parise Will Miss Three Months With Torn Meniscus
Forward Zach Parise will miss the next three months with a torn meniscus in his right knee. After exploratory arthroscopic surgery on Tuesday to determine what had been ailing him for some time and discovering that it was that meniscus issue, he had it repaired. The team announced the news.
As a result, he wont be back until early February, if the time table means anything. That’s vital for several reasons.
First, and most importantly, the Devils are clearly not off to a good start. Parise is one of their best players, and regardless of the fact that Ilya Kovalchuk is getting paid $100 million dollars, Parise is really the pace-setter on the team. The Devils cannot score goals so far this season. Losing Parise for three months hurts -- a lot.
Secondly, Parise is a restricted free agent this summer. Missing three months of the season isn’t going to help in terms of negotiating a new deal with the Devils.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Devils can hang on and keep the East race close over the next three months. If they can’t, Parise won’t be playing in many more meaningful hockey games this season.
For more on the Devils, visit In Lou We Trust.
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