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P-A Parenteau

P.A. Parenteau Retires From Professional Hockey

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A ninth-round pick overcoming the odds to play on a top line in one of the most famous cities in the world, alongside one of the game’s premiere talents. That’s the story of P.A. Parenteau, who according to Brian Compton of NHL.com has decided to hang up his skates. Parenteau retires after trying to make it work in the KHL, and representing Canada at the Spengler Cup this year. The 35-year old forward actually told Montreal radio more than a month ago that this was what he was planning but it went mostly under the radar, much like his NHL career.

Selected 264th-overall back when the NHL draft still had more than seven rounds, Parenteau was an extreme lottery ticket for the Anaheim Ducks. The young QMJHL winger had just completed his first season of junior, but would go on to score 51 goals and 118 points the next season. Perhaps they had more than they had expected in this offensive player who didn’t have any single standout skill. Another year of junior and four years bouncing around the minor leagues before Parenteau would make his NHL debut with the Chicago Blackhawks, and another three years before becoming a regular with the New York Islanders.

That’s where he found immediate success with a young first-overall pick named John Tavares, who turned Parenteau from a minor league scoring threat to a 20-goal, 67-point NHL talent. Parenteau told Compton that playing those two seasons with Tavares “changed [his] life completely. I can retire in peace now just because of those two years.” While he likely means the peace that came knowing he finally made his long-time NHL dream come true, there is also the financial gain that Parenteau received from his two years alongside Tavares.

After that 67-point season, the Colorado Avalanche signed Parenteau to a four-year, $16MM contract that would eventually be bought out by the Montreal Canadiens. After an outstanding lockout-shortened season in 2012-13 when Parenteau had 43 points in 48 games, his career took a sharp downward turn and he’d be out of the league just a few years later. Though there was some resurgence in Toronto, when a bad Maple Leafs team gave him plenty of ice time en route to another 20-goal season, the writing was on the wall for Parenteau.

In all, the ninth-round pick will retire with 491 games played in the NHL and 296 points. Those offensive totals put him 19th among all players selected in 2001.

P.A. Parenteau Signs With Yekaterinburg In The KHL

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After being unable to land a spot with Detroit in training camp, veteran winger P.A. Parenteau has signed a one year with Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg, the KHL team announced.  He skated in four games with the Red Wings in the preseason, tallying one assist but the team instead opted to sign winger David Booth before the season got underway.

May 18, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators right wing P.A. Parenteau (11) behind the net during the first period against the Anaheim Ducks in game four of the Western Conference Final of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY SportsLast year, the 34-year-old spent the majority of the season with New Jersey (after being claimed off waivers from the Islanders at the end of training camp) where he fared relatively well, recording 13 goals and 14 assists in 59 games.  He was dealt to the Predators at the trade deadline to serve as extra depth but he was a frequent healthy scratch, particularly in the postseason where he played in just five of 22 games.

Although it looks like his NHL playing days may now be over, Parenteau has still had a successful NHL career.  He was largely an afterthought after being a ninth rounder of Anaheim back in 2001 and it took him until 2010 before he became an NHL regular.  Despite that, he has managed to put up four seasons of 40 points or more, including a 67-point campaign with the Islanders in 2011-12.  Overall, he has played in 491 regular season games with eight different teams, tallying 114 goals and 182 assists.

As is the case with many veterans heading across the pond, it will be interesting to see if Parenteau garners any Olympic consideration.  He isn’t on Canada’s entry for the Karjala Cup later this month but a strong start to his KHL season would certainly put him on their radar as productive forwards are in short supply with NHL players not being allowed to participate in the Olympics this time around.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

P.A. Parenteau Signs PTO With Detroit Red Wings

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According to agent Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey, free agent forward P.A. Parenteau has signed a professional tryout with the Detroit Red Wings. He’ll join David Booth in Red Wings camp trying to show that they still deserve an NHL contract.

Parenteau, as Walsh points out, has averaged 17 goals over the past two seasons and has always been a capable offensive player. With 114 goals in 491 games, he can still help a team like Detroit who will be looking for offense, but comes with his share of warts. He’s never been a very capable defensive player and has been criticized in the past for not giving a consistent effort. His best seasons have come on relatively bad teams, when he was given top (or near top) line minutes.

Still, he’s an NHL player that last year brought back a sixth-round pick at the trade deadline. Whatever you think of Parenteau as a fit in Detroit, bringing in an asset to camp is never a bad idea. If he proves he can still score at a reasonable level, allowing him to see some powerplay time through the first half of the season and flipping him at the deadline is a good plan for any rebuilding squad.

Options For Coyotes At Lacking Right Wing

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By all accounts, the Arizona Coyotes are still a re-building club without much for expectations in 2017-18. However, at some point this team needs to take the next step and to do so the club needs to develop their many talented, young players as best as possible. For that reason, the incredulous lack of right-shots and experienced right wingers on the Arizona roster presents a substantial problem. In an article on the biggest issues facing each of Arizona’s sports teams, Craig Morgan of Arizona Sports opines that the Coyotes’ right wing depth is a major obstacle. With so few options, the team would be forced to move young players out of position or field unbalanced lines for the purposes of making the right wing position make sense. Instead, Morgan suggests that the roster still needs “tinkering”, with an outside addition going a long way to balancing out the team.

Morgan certainly is not exaggerating the problem that the Coyotes have on the right side. The only right-handed shot guaranteed to make the roster is newly-acquired top center Derek Stepan. Beyond him, Arizona could end up fielding an entire forward corps of lefties. Morgan mentions 20-year-old Christian Fischer as a near lock for one of the right-wing spots, given that he is likely the only natural right winger with the NHL ability in the organization right now. Fischer skated in seven games with the Coyotes last year, scoring three goals, and put up big numbers in the AHL as well. He looks primed for a full NHL campaign and the team’s lack of right wing options only helps to solidify his chances of making the roster. Young forwards Jens Looke and Nick Merkley are also righties with right wing experience, but what they lack is North American pro experience and seem better suited for a season in Tuscon, at least early on. So who fills the final three spots? Although he is a lefty, Tobias Rieder has fared well on the right side for much of the past few seasons in Arizona and will likely resume his role on the off wing in 2017-18. Brad Richardson and Anthony Duclair have routinely played on the off side in their careers as well, but with Richardson’s health still in question and Duclair coming off a disappointing season and has yet to re-sign, so relying on either, nevertheless both, is a risk for the ’Yotes. That leaves Arizona with the option of moving young lefties like Brendan Perlinin, Lawson Crouse, or Nick Cousins to the left side or giving veteran wash-ups like Emerson Etem, Michael Latta, or Mike Sislo a regular job. Neither of those avenues seem to be the best fit for the Coyotes.

Instead, GM John Chayka may be looking to fill the void with a new addition. A couple obvious names pop up as right side options still available on the free agent market, as Arizona could simply fill the hole left by veteran scorer Radim Vrbata with another veteran scorer like Thomas Vanek or Jaromir Jagr. The team said goodbye to the face of the organization, Shane Doan, this summer, so it is fair to be skeptical of them bringing in another aging player. However, Vanek and Jagr offer a scoring touch that Doan hasn’t had of late and that others like Jarome Iginla or Brian Gionta may not bring. If the Coyotes are going to take a roster spot away from a young player, even if it is to fill a notable absence, it will need to be someone ready to contribute. Younger veterans with more gas in the tank like Alex Chiasson or P-A Parenteau would make some sense as well. A trade, even at this point in the off-season, is always a possibility for Chayka as well. The Coyotes young GM has showed a willingness to take on bad contracts and a propensity for winning those trades as well. The cap-strapped Toronto Maple Leafs may be willing to give up a pick or prospect alongside Joffrey Lupul to remove that contract, especially when Lupul appears to be moving closer to playing health, while the Detroit Red Wings also need to move some salary at some point soon.

There are options aplenty for the Coyotes on the right side, but the question remains whether they see 2017-18 as yet another stepping stone campaign or a season where they can actually compete. It if it’s the former, then the team may hesitate to add another contract with so many young forwards eager for play time (even on their off side), but the latter would require another body at right wing. The decision belongs to Chayka an his staff, but there appears to benefits all around to adding another body to compete at right wing.

Free Agent Profile: P.A. Parenteau

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It has been quite the recent fall from grace for unrestricted free agent winger P.A. Parenteau.  He’s five years removed from a 67 point season and has played for five different organizations since then and now finds himself looking for his next contract more than a month into free agency.

May 18, 2017; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators right wing P.A. Parenteau (11) behind the net during the first period against the Anaheim Ducks in game four of the Western Conference Final of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports2016-17 got off to a very weird start to Parenteau.  He was coming off a good season with Toronto and landed a one-year deal with the Islanders to potentially play alongside John Tavares like he did when he had that 67 point campaign.  Instead, he found himself on waivers after training camp before suiting up for a single regular season game.

New Jersey picked him up and the 34-year-old acquitted himself relatively well in a secondary scoring role, picking up 27 points (13-14-27) in 59 games before the Predators picked him up to serve as injury insurance and extra depth although he was a scratch for most of their postseason run.

Parenteau has scored at least 13 goals in seven of his eight full NHL seasons.  While on the surface, that may make him an appealing secondary scorer, his overall game isn’t the strongest while he isn’t the best of skaters either.  As a result, he has seemingly become the type of player that teams feel they can use for a bit but are expendable before too long.  While the negative here is that he’s moved elsewhere fairly quickly, the positive is that teams have continued to be interested in him along the way.

Potential Suitors

At this stage of the summer, Parenteau may be best suited to look for a rebuilding team who would view him as a bridge until a youngster is ready before moving him midseason to a team with injury issues or in need of more depth.

Teams that come to mind are the Coyotes who have a plethora of youngsters without much in the way of a veteran supporting cast.  He’d serve as insurance in case some of them need more time in the minors.  His former team in New Jersey also makes some sense as they have a few vacancies to fill up front.  Florida also has some holes to fill up front and have lost quite a bit of their attack this offseason.  The Sharks haven’t added much as they’re hoping some of their young players can make the jump but someone like Parenteau would hedge against them not being ready right away.

Projected Contract

Back in June, Parenteau slotted in at #41 on our Top 50 Free Agents list with a projected one-year, $1MM contract.  With the number of veteran offensive wingers still on the market, there’s a good chance he’ll have to take a bit less to land a guaranteed deal in the coming weeks.  Parenteau is an interesting candidate to go the international route to take a shot at playing in the Olympics if he’s still unsigned as of a month from now with only PTO offers on the table.  There is a potential market for him but it’s a small and crowded one.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Parenteau, Salomaki, Pietrangelo, Hansen

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The Predators are about to be faced with a nice problem to have, too many NHL-capable forwards.  Recently-acquired right winger P.A. Parenteau is expected to make his Nashville debut sometime this week during their three game road trip, reports Adam Vingan of The Tennessean.  Additionally, the Preds are expected to have winger Miikka Salomaki back in the near future as he’s currently on a long-term injury conditioning loan after being out since mid-October.

Vingan suggests that Parenteau’s acquisition could force right winger Craig Smith either onto a lower line or out of the lineup entirely.  Smith has struggled considerably at the offensive end this season, scoring just four goals in 54 games, hardly the type of production they were expecting from a player carrying a $4MM cap hit.  He adds that someone like Salomaki, who was a regular for most of last season, may have to wait a little while to get back in the lineup as fourth liners Harry Zolnierczyk and Austin Watson are playing well enough to stay where they are for now.

Elsewhere in the West:

  • The Blues are looking to find a way to trim defenseman Alex Pietrangelo’s ice time, notes Jeremy Rutherford of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Although he’s averaging his lowest amount of playing time per game (24:57) since 2011-12, the captain has had to take on a larger role following the trade of Kevin Shattenkirk to Washington last week and has passed the 27 minute mark in each of his last two games.  While that could suggest that Colton Parayko could be in line for a heavier workload, St. Louis is likely hoping that rookie Jordan Schmaltz may be able to take some of the pressure off Pietrangelo in the coming weeks as he gets acclimated to his first tour of duty in the NHL.
  • San Jose is expected to have winger Jannik Hansen in the lineup on Thursday against the Capitals, reports Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News. He’s dealing with the long process getting a work visa to move from Canada to the United States but the process is nearing completion.  International players being traded from Canada to the United States often take longer to get clearance to play for their new team as on top of needing a P-1 visa, they also have to go through an interview process which often takes several days to get an opening as most of those slots are reserved for Canadians.

Snapshots: Mason, Parenteau, Sweden

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News and notes from around the NHL this evening:

  • Sam Carchidi of the Philadelphia Inquirer reports that the Philadelphia Flyers have not negotiated with goaltender Steve Mason’s camp all season. Mason is in the final year of his contract worth $4.1MM a year. In 43 games this season he’s posted a 17-17-6 record with a .903 SV% and a 2.83 GAA. Interesting, the Flyers extended their other goaltender, Michael Neuvirth, to a two-year deal worth $2.5MM a year. Neuvrith has worse numbers than Mason, going 10-9-1 in 24 games with a .887 SV% and a 2.90 GAA. Part of the reason may be that if they signed both Mason and Neuvirth, they would have to expose one to the expansion draft this summer.
  • New Nashville Predators acquisition P.A. Parenteau will miss tonight’s game after “blowing up” his finger, reports Andrew Gross of the NJ Record. Parenteau’s hand was hit by a puck and will require several stitches. The veteran forward was traded from the New Jersey Devils to Nashville in exchange for a 6th round pick in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft. Parenteau has 13G and 14A in 59 games so far this season.
  • The New York Times reported that Sweden has reintroduced military conscription affecting those born in 1999 and later. This will impact future incoming Swedish players professional development with the prospects of serving—albeit for 9-12 months—in the Swedish military. The NHL is no stranger to this dilemma though. Finland still maintains mandatory military participation—usually around six months—and all Finnish NHLers have or will have to participate during their career. Most Finnish-born players, like Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Olli Maatta, complete their military requirements during the offseason.

 

Trade Notes: Oilers, Krejci, Parenteau, Boyle

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The Oilers are on pace to make the playoffs for the first time since the 2005-2006 season. As a result, there’s some pressure on general manager Peter Chiarelli to make some moves that will help the team secure that playoff birth. While the executive admitted that he doesn’t believe his team is a true Cup contender, he did provide some insight into his pre-deadline strategy.

“I really don’t want to delve into that market,” Chiarelli said (via Sportsnet’s Mark Spector). “I think there are areas we can tinker with; I think the team deserves it. We wanted to be in the conversation. We are.

“(But) we’ve made a lot of moves in the summer, and they’re coming around. I’d rather see those play out…(Deals) fall in your lap … but I don’t see being heavily involved in that market.

“I don’t think it’s the right time for this team, but having said that … once you get into the playoffs, you never know.”

As we anticipate the March 1st trade deadline, let’s explore some other trade notes from around the NHL…

  • An NHL executive told WEEI’s Jimmy Murphy that Bruins center David Krejci has been a target of multiple teams (Twitter link). However, the same sourced wondered whether the veteran could now be off the market due to his and his team’s recent play. The 30-year-old has 14 goals and 25 assists this season.
  • That same executive also told Murphy that Predators general manager David Poile has been “a lot more aggressive” over the past year, and that sentiment apparently applies to this season (Twitter link). Nashville is currently slotted in as the top wild-card team in the Western Conference.
  • It seems like P.A. Parenteau’s name has been floating in trade rumors for the better part of a year, and the Devils winger recently told Andrew Gross of NorthJersey.com that he understands that he could be on the block if the team falls further out of the playoff hunt. “I went through it last year,” Parenteau said. “I was having a really good year and I didn’t get traded. Who knows? The market changes every year. I’m aware of my age, and when I sign a one-year deal like that, if the team is going to be out of playoff contention, there’s a chance I get moved.”
  • Joe Smith of TampaBay.com tweets that he isn’t surprised at the trade talks surrounding center Brian Boyle, citing the veteran’s leadership presence in the locker room. However, Smith says these are the reasons why the Lightning should actually be looking to keep the 32-year-old. In 50 games this season, the veteran has collected 13 goals and seven assists, and he’s on pace to set career-highs in both categories.

Metropolitan Notes: Parenteau, Saad, Dubinsky, Flyers

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Late in the preseason, the Islanders waived right winger P.A. Parenteau, a decision that came as a surprise to many considering they had just signed him to a one year, $1.25MM deal in the summer with the expectation that he’d reunite with former linemate John Tavares.  When they let him go, it seemed like the plan was to give his spot to either Anthony Beauvillier or Mathew Barzal.  That hasn’t exactly transpired though as Beauvillier has been a scratch at times while Barzal, who has sat for most of the season, was sent back to his junior team earlier today.

With the benefit of hindsight, Brian Erni of Islanders Point Blank suggests that the Islanders could have exercised some better foresight back at the end of the preseason.  Was it worth losing Parenteau so that Barzal could see less than 20 total minutes of action?

On the other end of the coin, the Devils certainly have to be pleased with their waiver acquisition.  Parenteau has five goals so far this season, tying him with fellow newcomer Taylor Hall for the team lead (while Tavares leads the Isles with five tallies as well).  It’s not often to get someone who can play top six minutes off of the waiver wire and while it’s a small sample size so far, Parenteau is looking like the one that got away for the Islanders.

More from the Metropolitan Division:

  • Although Blue Jackets left winger Brandon Saad was expected to be a healthy scratch tonight for the first time in a Columbus uniform, he will be in the lineup tonight against the Ducks, reports Aaron Portzline of the Columbus Dispatch. He will be effectively taking the place of Brandon Dubinsky, who will not play due to a lower body injury.
  • Flyers center/left winger Nick Cousins has been a healthy scratch the last couple of games but as Dave Isaac of the Courier-Post writes, his absence from the lineup isn’t entirely performance related. Head coach Dave Hakstol believes that Cousins’ mental toughness is strong enough to allow him to sit once in a while without it affecting his game while allowing other players to either get back into or stay in the lineup.  It would appear that Cousins will be back in the lineup soon as the team announced that they have sent forwards Scott Laughton and Roman Lyubimov to Lehigh Valley of the AHL.  The Flyers now have the minimum 12 forwards on the roster so it’s likely one will be called up before their next game on Friday against Toronto.

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