According to Eklund, there are eight teams pursuing superstar winger Zach Parise: Toronto, St. Louis, Detroit, Minnesota, Nashville, LA, Colorado, and Buffalo.
Eklund's blog that will get fans around the nation giddy. Whether or not Parise will move cities, just the idea that he might is almost too great to fathom.
With all of the 12-, 13- and 14-year contracts that were popular during the early years of the new CBA, the talent pool on July 1 has all but dried up as far as superstars are concerned. Only Kovalchuk tested the waters and hark, he signed in New Jersey.
Parise could feel justified that he is not the main guy in New Jersey and that Kovalchuk the main attraction and want out. This is all speculation but as fans, it is fun speculation.
Parise is the prize of this season/offseason and maybe the hottest for years to come. He is a hard-working player who has all of the skills you want. He's got a great shot, great speed- speed which a knee injury didn't slow him down at all- and leadership. In short: everything you need to win the Stanley Cup.
There is no doubt if he is on the market teams will crawl all over one another trying to acquire the superstar and that has to make New Jersey smile. A bidding war would only be great for them.
As the other general managers bids would come in, New Jersey would have to think about what they want in return for Parise:
- Scoring winger to help offset loss of Parise
- Goaltender/goaltending prospect. Unless Frazee or Clermont are the real deal, they need a prospect for when Brodeur retires
- Defenseman to help anchor the defense of New Jersey
- A draft pick
Teams will add and subtract from those lists but as far as New Jersey is concerned, that is the shopping list.
The real concern with acquiring Parise in the middle of the season or at the draft is cost after acquiring. Best case, the team that gets him tosses a load of cash his way and they are settled. Worst case, the team trades for him and can't sign him, he walks and is signed by another team. You're out all the pieces used to acquire him and he still leaves a la Ryan Smyth with the Islanders.
It only gets better for New Jersey that Parise does not have a no trade clause so if the Anaheim Ducks trade Bobby Ryan and Cam Fowler but Parise still wants to go to a playoff and/or cup contender, they can trade him anyway. Not that Lou Lamoriello would do that but it is an option. This means Lamoriello doesn't have to clear a trade with Parise and risk him nixing it like Tomas Kaberle.
It will be many years before a player of Parise's quality is available on the open market and even then a player with his talent, work ethic and leadership is rarer still. He will be the crown jewel of any trade proposal and with the bidding war of general managers, New Jersey would make off with a great deal.
Parise is the one player fans have been dreaming of acquiring outside of a video game and for the first time, it might actually happen.
What would you like to see your team trade to get him and where do you think he ends up.
Note: New Jersey is still an option for a place that he will end up. 
Colorado Avalanche Blogger • 
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