NHL Free Agents: What Could Zach Parise Fetch on the Open Market?

New Jersey Devils star winger Zach Parise would be foolish not to hit the open market and discover what kind of money he can get as a top NHL free agent next summer.

Parise will most likely become a free agent in the summer because he wants to win, and the Devils are nowhere near being a legitimate Stanley Cup contender.

Parise recently spoke about his future.

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“When you’re here for seven years and have never been past the second round, you realize it’s going by quick,” he said. “You see how hard it is. There are 29 teams every year that are disappointed, so it’s not easy. You’ve got to get lucky, you have to have a great team and you have to have a healthy team and avoid injuries at key times. A lot of things have to fall into place.”

“Some players want to go and get the most money they can, which is fine,” Parise said. “Do whatever you want. Then you have a lot of players who want to be somewhere where you’re going to have the best chance to win.

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If Parise gets on the open market there will be many potential suitors willing to give him a ton of money for many years.

He will find teams willing to pay big money to make him a cornerstone of their franchise, and not just average teams, playoff-contending teams like the New York Rangers could be strong players with their need for a winger.

How much will he get? Well, let's look at what he's making this season. Parise and the Devils agreed to a one-year deal with a $6 million salary cap hit for this season.

You have to figure that salary is the starting point for him, at least $6 million. Parise a star forward, one capable of being a leader and scoring a lot of goals. These types of players do not grow on trees, and if there were a kind of player to make a long-term financial commitment to, it is for a guy like Parise.

Two young offensive stars who signed contracts recently are Steven Stamkos and Bobby Ryan.

Bobby Ryan signed a five-year, $25 million deal with the Anaheim Ducks before the 2010 season, and Stamkos signed a five-year, $37.5 million contract before this year.

Parise is better than Ryan, but you could argue he is not as good as Stamkos. So I would say he will get in the middle of the two deals, probably closer to Stamkos' though and certainly over $30 million.

A four-year deal worth about $28 million may be a lot for some teams but I believe someone would give that to Parise. Last season was the first year he did not play in at least 81 of 82 regular season games, and this season he has proven he is healthy.

Parise will get paid, and there are many teams with salary cap space in the summer who will really think hard about signing him. He is an elite offensive talent and is a good kid as well. His goal scoring and leadership are valuable to any NHL team.

Parise will likely leave New Jersey in the summer, because he can get just as much money plus a chance to win a Stanley Cup by finding a new home.