Devils File For Team Elected Arbitration With Parise

The New Jersey Devils have filed for team elected arbitration with restricted free-agent and superstar, Zach Parise.

The reason for this move by Devil's management is to protect Zach Parise from fielding any offer sheets from other teams.

Arbitration is always a scary word, when dealing with sports. It can potentially create a fog in a relationship between a player and his respective team, ruining that affiliation entirely in the process.

The arbitration hearing would be scheduled for July 20th, 2011. This would guarantee Parise another year in the swamp, with a third party determining how much money he would make. The negative in all of this is that Parise would become an eligible unrestricted free-agent and would be able to test the free-agent market next summer.

However, the Devils and the Parise camp will be able negotiate a contract up until July 20th, with desires to eliminate the need for a hearing. Lamiorello has stated this decision was solely made to "simply protect[ing] his (Parise's) rights" and he will "continue toward getting a long-term agreement". These statements should comfort Devils fans, as we learn that both parties are avidly working to get a long term contract finalized.

Zach Parise missed most of the 2010-2011 campaign due to a torn meniscus, perhaps diminishing his market value in the process.