The NHL's free agent season hit a logjam Monday, with most teams and players seemingly in a holding pattern until New Jersey Devils captain Zach Parise makes his decision.
After a day of watching and waiting, it doesn't seem that that logjam is going anywhere soon.
A decision was expected in some quarters when Parise's camp announced that he would speak with reporters on Monday, but when he emerged from his agent's office in Toronto, his only announcement was that he had yet to make a decision.
"I'm getting closer but haven't made a decision," Parise said. "I haven't set any deadlines."
Among the teams said to be in the running for Parise's services are the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Detroit Red Wings and the Minnesota Wild. Parise also confirmed on Monday that the Devils are still in the mix.
The 27-year-old Parise has been the most watched free agent on the market this summer. He scored 31 goals and assisted on 38 more for the Devils in the 2011-12 season, and then went on to score eight more goals and hand out seven more assists for New Jersey during its run to the Stanley Cup Finals, which ended in disappointment at the hands of the Los Angeles Kings. In 502 NHL games, all for the Devils, Parise has 194 goals and 216 assists.
In the Devils, Red Wings, Wild and Penguins, Parise certainly has a number of attractive options. The Penguins have the majority of their key pieces from a team that won the Stanley Cup in 2009. The Red Wings are eager to reload in the wake of Nicklas Lidstrom's retirement, and are considered the leading contenders to add Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter to their lineup. Minnesota doesn't have a track record of success like the Penguins, Wings or Devils, but have been rebuilding under general manager Chuck Fletcher and have plenty of cap space to offer Parise to play in his home state. Finally, the Devils have been active in keeping together the core of the team that reached the Stanley Cup Finals this past spring, and certainly have the cap room to match any offer, although questions of the team's finances are still lingering.
"It's such a long-term, important decision," Parise said. "You have to make sure you look at everything."
Parise is expected to return home to Minnesota on Tuesday to discuss the situation with his family. There is no timetable for his decision, which is bad news for the rest of the free agent and trade market. The potential trades of Columbus Blue Jackets star Rick Nash and Anaheim Ducks forward Bobby Ryan are both in a holding pattern until Parise moves, and Parise's decision could also impact Suter's destination.
For now, however, it's a game of watching and waiting.
