The struggling Devils took a major hit on Tuesday night when it was revealed that their star forward Zach Parise will be out 3 months after surgery to repair a torn meniscus. I thought he would be out much less, but man o man I was dead wrong. This is a significant blow to a team that already struggles to score goals. Parise's injury could not come a worst time. He initially tore the meniscus while training for the season in August, but played through it for the full month of October. If he had the surgery in August, he would be back by the end of this month.
With Parise injured, the spotlight will now shine on Ilya Kovalchuk as he will be the driving force for the Devils goal production. The Devils might want to remember two years ago when Marty Brodeur went down with a torn biceps tendon and missed 4 months, but the Devils found a way to unite as a team. So, the Devils will have to wait until at least February assuming no one gets hurt to ice a full healthy line-up.
Can the Devils make the playoffs without Parise? A lot will depend on how they play in November and December. But if they continue to struggle, Lou Lamoriello might want to consider making a trade or bringing in a veteran forward like Bill Guerin, who could provide some sort of a leadership spark. Like I said, they can be reminded of Brodeur's injury as well and unite with Parise. I still think they will finish 6th or 7th in the East with the Parise injury.
Parise is slated to become a restricted free agent next Summer and no contract talks have taken place. Maybe some will during his absence, but not after the Devils solve their salary cap issues. I believe the Devils will find a way to lock up Parise long-term.
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