NHL's Top 50: Zach Parise (No. 22)

FanHouse's Adam Gretz takes a look at his top 50 players in the NHL. No. 22 is New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise.

The New Jersey Devils have been fighting the perception for years that they're a boring, sluggish team that simply sits back and clogs up the neutral zone, trapping teams into mistakes. The return of Jacques Lemaire, the trap-master himself, behind the bench probably didn't do much to help that perception. No matter the system, he's coming to a team that finished 15th in goals scored this past season, and boasts one of the best young wingers in the NHL, 25-year-old Zach Parise.

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The Numbers: Zach Parise Zach Parise Goals Assists Points Pim Career Totals 122 131 253 107 Average Per 82 Games 30.3 32.8 63.9 27.0

Draft Year: 2003

Selected 17th overall after the Devils moved up five spots, giving up the No. 22 and No. 68 picks, in a draft-day trade with the Edmonton Oilers. Edmonton ended up with Marc-Antoine Pouliot and Jean-Francois Jacques.

Why He's On My List

Parise has improved his production across the board every year he's been in the league, and his breakout season in 2008-09 launched him into the NHL's elite. He finished in the top-five in scoring (trailing only Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin, Sidney Crosby and Pavel Datsyuk), top-three in goals scored (trailing only Ovechkin and Jeff Carter), played in his first All-Star game, and was a finalist for the Lady Byng Trophy. At 5-foot-11, 195-pounds, he obviously doesn't possess great size, but he's tough, fast, and durable. In just four seasons, he's already recorded three consecutive 30-goal campaigns.

Obligatory YouTube Video

Parise's top-five goals of the 2008-09 season.