The New Jersey Devils are one of the hottest teams in the NHL. They're 9-1-1 since the All-Star break and because of a vault into 4th place in the Eastern Conference, New Jersey has no designs on trading star winger Zach Parise.
After the Devils 4-3 overtime win over Toronto last night, general manager Lou Lamoriello effectively put an end to any talks of a trade by stating that Parise will remain in red and black, according to Mark Everson of the New York Post.
Head coach Pete DeBoer furthered the point.
"It hasn’t been a distraction because our general manager has made it very clear that it’s not an issue, he’s not going anywhere. That ended the distraction, right there," DeBoer said.
Parise is schedule to become an unrestricted free agent come July 1st and most feel New Jersey won't retain him due to major financial issues. One school of thought has been making the playoffs and going on a deep run might help owner Jeff Vanderbeek finance a new deal with the 27-year-old star.
New Jersey is one of the more intriguing teams to watch down the stretch. Currently sitting only behind the Rangers in the brutal Atlantic Division, the Devils are in a heated race to secure home ice advantage in the first round.
With Martin Brodeur turning back the clock and Ilya Kovalchuk on a torrid pace, the Devils have to like their chances come playoff time.
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