Veterans Zach Parise and Zdeno Chara can have lasting impact on Islanders, Barry Trotz says
There were a few obvious reasons why the Islanders wanted Zach Parise and Zdeno Chara this offseason, despite their ages of 37 and 44, respectively. There was the experience, of course, and the versatility. There was the opportunity for Chara to reunite with — and perhaps even end his career with — the team that drafted him. And there was the chance for mentorship, Parise being a good complement to Oliver Wahlstrom, now in his sophomore season, and Chara fitting in rather well with Noah Dobson, 23 years his junior, and his potential blue-line partner.
But though both players are only signed to one-year contracts, Barry Trotz said Thursday that their influence could extend far beyond what they’re able to do this season, even if it’s their only one in an Islanders jersey.
"You talk about professionalism, you talk about a good example day in and day out — if you’re going to have a winning culture, Zach Parise, his mindset, how he prepares, how he goes through every drill, everything he does is at a very high level and detailed," Trotz said. "A guy like Zach and a guy like Big Z, those guys are invaluable for us, not only for this year in terms of our team because of their ability, but for years to come because they are reinforcing a lot of the things that our veterans are already doing on a consistent basis."
It’s no secret that Trotz’s Islanders are regimented, even at this stage of the preseason, and that those qualities extend to even the younger players. But with Parise and Chara, both hungry for the Stanley Cup that has just eluded the Islanders these last few seasons, they’ve also added a bit more gravitas to their roster. They’ll also potentially mold viewpoints that can last their younger teammates a lifetime.
"You see them and the number of games that they have and the high level that they play at and it just validates to a young guy — if you’re a young guy and you’re sitting there going, ‘No, I don’t have much today’ and you watch Zach or Zdeno Chara or you know, Anders Lee or [Casey] Cizikas or [Brock] Nelson, you’ve got to be embarrassed sitting there," Trotz said. "So, culturally it has a great effect for us."
Cal Clutterbuck, too, agreed that their contributions are manifold, even this early in their Islanders tenure.
"It’s a boost in a couple different ways," he said. "It’s nice that they recognize the potential of the group that we have here already. It’s nice that they feel like they have something to add to that group and are willing to come here and give it a shot with us. I think, secondly, it’s good for the guys here to get rewarded for playing well and putting together a couple runs and getting rewarded with good players and good people wanting to come here and wanting to battle alongside you."
Notes & quotes: Second-round draft pick Aatu Raty was sent back to Finland to continue his development, Trotz said, which had been the plan all along . . . Trotz had high praise for prospect Robin Salo, who’s impressed in the preseason. "Robin has done a really good job," he said of the 22-year-old defenseman. "I think the [thing] that stands out is how poised he is with the puck. He’s got a lot of deception to his game. He makes good decisions."
Laura Albanese is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. She's been covering MLB since 2014 after starting at Newsday as an intern seven years earlier.
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