Pondering The Islander Who Got Away: Zach Parise

With last night's loss to New Jersey, the Islanders' losing streak has now reached five games. Here's Greg Logan:

The fifth was a 4-3 loss to the Devils that was over almost before it began, thanks to some horrendous first-period turnovers last night at Continental Airlines Arena. Two of the Devils' goals were scored by 22-year-old Zach Parise, who is exactly the type of young offensive threat the Islanders wish they had to plug into their lineup for the spark they need to turn things around.

Of course, the Islanders could very well have had Parise, if they only had picked him in the draft when he was available. You'd figure that the pick was a no-brainer. After all, Parise's father, J.P., was one of the players who had helped lift the Islanders to respectability when he had spent parts of four seasons on Long Island in the nid-1970s. Even better, J.P. was a bonafide Islanders hero. Back in 1975, J.P. scored a goal just 11 seconds into OT to defeat the Rangers in Game Three of their preliminary round playoff series. It was the first playoff series for the young club as well as its first series victory, and it set the tone for the greatness to come in the form of four-straight Stanley Cup Championships in the early 1980s.

All that remained was for "Mad" Mike Milbury to go for the sentimental pick, one that was sure to warm the cockles of the heart of every fan on Long Island. When I was watching the draft at the time, it simply didn't cross my mind that Milbury would let Parise, who had a great international career as an under 18 and under 20 player in the U.S. development program, get away.

But it wasn't to be. Instead, with the 17th pick in the first round Milbury, most likely going with the advice of another ex-Islander, Andres Kallur, snapped up Robert Nilsson, son of ex-NHLer Kent Nilsson. Just two picks later, the Devils snapped up Zach at #19.

And while Nilsson is still a promising prospect a little less than a week short of his 22nd birthday, he's still in the AHL with Bridgeport while the younger Parise is making a significant one at the NHL level right now.

In isolation, it's just the sort of judgement call NHL GMs are forced to make in the draft every single year. But when you match it up with the remainder of Milbury's record as a GM, his tenure on the Island looks all the more disastrous.

Eric 05:02 PM

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Posted by: at January 5, 2007 07:23 PM

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