Zach Parise Files: Is the Great Hope Headed to New York?

One final thing to not, before Russo hosts again on Tuesday, are Matheson's thoughts on where Parise is going to play next season. Why do we care? Well, some of us don't, but some people out there can't seem to get enough of Parise and his soon to be free agency.

The question facing us today is: Where does logic (at least one man's) put Parise next season.

Asked if Parise winning a Cup means the captian of the Devils would stick around in New Jersey, Matheson had this to say:

I agree and disagree here. I agree the Devils would certainly have choices to make, and I do believe that the Kovalchuk signing makes signing Parise that much more difficult. However, we have seen the NHL, and its GMs, do some pretty creative things to make contracts work. I don't see it as a big stretch to see the Devils find a way to get it done.

Maybe I'm just suffering from cognitive dissonance. Yeah. That must be it.

The really interesting part came later in Matheson's thoughts:

I like that Matheson brushes off the Minnesota ties. That isn't sarcasm. I'm not buying that there is some sort of strong pull for Parise to sign here just because it is "home." It isn't home. No more than anyone who moved out to go to college, took a job in another city, lived there for seven years and started a family there considers their hometown to be... home.

I would also agree that the Rangers are a logical choice. Heck, Parise wouldn't even need to move. I'm not convinced Parise is the type of guy to switch sides in a rivalry quite as easy as Matheson makes it sound, but maybe. He's a professional hockey player. It's not like there is a law against playing for a rival.

The one issue I have here, and it is a minor quibble to be sure, is that Matheson makes it sound like a forgone conclusion that the Rangers get either Nash or Parise. Maybe he didn't mean it that way, but the line "If you can't trade for Rick Nash, you just sign Parise," makes things sound incredibly simplistic. Neither is a simple thing to get done.

Though, he is right, there is little difference between the two in terms of what they bring to your team, and Parise's opportunity cost is much lower.

All I know is this... if the Rangers get either player, there is going to be a run on tin foil hats across the NHL. Of course, that could be a great deal of fun.