What P.A. Parenteau's Departure Means for the New York Islanders

For some fans, the departure of P.A. Parenteau was a huge blow to the New York Islanders' first line and overall scoring ability. He had become an impact player and a staple of the Islanders' offense.

But what does this really mean for the Islanders overall?

Parenteau came to the Islanders after spending a lot of time in the AHL and was looking like he would spend his career down there. Then Islanders GM Garth Snow picked Parenteau up and he came onto the scene, immediately making a huge impact.

His first season out he had 53 points on 20 goals and 33 assists. The following year he came up with 67 points on 18 goals and 49 assists.

He became a bit of a fan favorite for his scoring, but at times he was frustrating to watch. Parenteau took some inconvenient penalties, and some felt he was a bit lazy during critical moments. But he fared well overall and found a home with the Islanders. 

Parenteau's contract expired in 2012, and despite publicly stating he wished to remain with the Islanders, from the outset the outlook was a bit grim. There was very little talk of it after the end of the season, throughout the playoffs and most of June.

Then came draft day and still very little. Despite Garth Snow stating he had submitted a very fair offer to Parenteau, it was declined, perhaps in hopes of finding something better.

In the end we hit free agency on July 1st, and Parenteau entered the list along with many others. TSN ranked Parenteau as the No. 11 top free agent. Islanders fans now held their breath as they hoped nobody would match the numbers Garth had offered, but it wasn't to be so.

The Colorado Avalanche offered Parenteau a four-year, $16 million contract and he was officially gone from the New York Islanders. He abandoned the team that rescued him from minor league play and gave him a fair chance.

Some fans felt that a measly $4 million and four years isn't much, seeing as we gave rookie Michael Grabner a five-year, $15 million contract the season before.

But let's really break it down: 

Parenteau is no spring chicken; he's 29 years old. He only has two full NHL seasons under his belt. 

He's played alongside John Tavares almost the entire time (which may explain his numbers to a degree*)

At $4 million a season, he would be making more than Matt Moulson by almost $1 million a season, for 15 or so fewer goals and one year less time playing on the Isles, let alone three consecutive 30-goal seasons.

In reality, Snow did somewhat well by not signing him to a four-year contract. Parenteau is a great playmaker, but that is about as far as it goes. He's not known for his forechecking, stick handling, or incredible goal scoring.

He's made most of his points in the past two seasons by giving the puck to John Tavares, which is pretty much guaranteed to earn you points.

This is far from a hate job, but the stark reality of it. Parenteau is not exactly a superstar; no one knows how well he would've played had he been on another team off of a line with a legitimate superstar player. 

In the end, his numbers are replaceable and he is not the end-all, be-all of the Islanders' top line or scoring.