Zach Parise, Please.

Parise and Crosby after the 2010 Gold Medal Game.

What should the Pens do in free agency?  

Written by: Chad Revak

They have been speculated to be going all in on either Zach Parise or Ryan Suter.  These guys are the cream of the crop in this summer’s free agent class, with the next tier of players dropping off substantially.  Should the Penguins throw all their cards in on one of these guys, or settle for the likes of a P.A. Parenteau, Shane Doan, Jiri Hudler, or even the fan favorite Alexander Semin?  Alright, maybe Semin isn’t well liked around these parts of town, but there is no doubt that his offensive intangibles could benefit the Penguin’s offense.  But, this should simply be Plan B, maybe even Plan C, with a trade for Bobby Ryan, a consecutive thirty-goal scorer for three straight years, being Plan B.  Plan A should no doubt be to hook, line, and sinker Zach Parise.  Ryan Suter is an attractive piece to the Penguins, but let’s face it; our defensive depth is only growing.  Sure, the naysayers will preach about how bad the defense was in the playoffs, but there were many factors that contributed to the beat down we took from our rival Flyers. Areas like the penalty kill and power play hurt us almost as much as Paul Martin.  Simon Despres should be NHL ready for the upcoming season and they drafted two defensemen in the first round this year, which should be an indication where Shero and his staff plan to go in this year’s free agent market.  Early reports after the draft that the Penguins were going to go after Minnesota native Zach Parise, stirred up message boards, radio stations, and water cooler talk.  It’s pretty obvious as to why.  Parise, 27, is still one of the NHL’s elite wingers with all the intangibles the Penguins are looking for in a long term solution Crosby’s supposed winger problem.  Even though Crosby makes everyone he plays with that much better, putting Parise on his wing would make this combo about as deadly as Penguins teammates Evgeni Malkin and James Neal.  Combining for ninety goals, Malkin and Neal had the kind of season only one could hope for.  Imagine the possibilities for potential line mates Crosby and Parise.  Though they may not tally ninety goals, they will contribute significantly, making each other that much better. Neither player lacks playmaking or goal scoring abilities.  Parise has averaged over thirty goals and thirty assists in five of seven seasons in the NHL, with one of those seasons being lost for the most part to injury.  Stats only do so much to prove this perfect piece fitting in with the puzzle.  Also, this Shattuck St. Mary’s connection might look enticing, but don’t read too much into it considering Parise played there a few years before Sid.  Sure the offer is going to have to be right, and sure Parise will more than likely have to take less money to play here, but again the payoff for Parise, who wants to continuously contend for a Stanley Cup, is one that cannot be overlooked.  

Plan A: Zach Parise, Ryan Suter

Plan B: Trade- Potentially for Bobby Ryan, Iginla, or Setoguchi

Plan C: Shane Doan, Alexander Semin, PA Parenteau

Plan D: Steve Sullivan, Ray Whitney