New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello tells Mark Everson of the New York Post that he will not trade pending unrestricted free agent forward Zach Parise before the February 27 trade deadline.

This news appears to confirm what coach Pete DeBoer told Rich Chere of The Star-Ledger the day before when asked whether Parise’s contract situation has become a distraction for the team.

It hasn’t been a distraction (this season). I think, because our general manager has made it very clear that it’s not an issue. He’s not going anywhere. He’s a big part of our team. He’s our captain. I think that ended the distraction right there. It’s a non-issue.

Sources inform Everson’s that Parise will not negotiate a contract extension before the deadline, and he may not do so before the Devils stop playing hockey this season. Part of the reason is that he most likely wants to test the free agent market, but it may also have to do with Parise not wanting to cause a media circus around the team, as teammate and future hall-of-fame goalie Martin Brodeur hints.

I think he’s a really professional kid. Since day one he came here and wants to be the best player he can be. I think for him focusing on hockey is what’s important to him. Things will take care of themselves. Hopefully the Devils will be able to make a big commitment to him because I think, along with Kovy, he’s the face of the franchise. The Devils need a guy like that for the fan base. He’ll be taken care of but it doesn’t seem he’s getting affected.

Parise told Chere last Sunday that he will no longer discuss his contractual situation with the media.

Nothing has changed and I’ve told our reporters that they can stop asking questions about it because I’m done talking about it.

Everson suggests that the possibility remains Parise will get dealt. If he and the Devils don’t reach a deal before Parise hits free agency July 1st, the club may trade his rights in an attempt to acquire some assets for him.

It’s expected that if Parise does become a free agent on July 1st, he will be heavily pursued by a number of teams, including the New York Rangers.

New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise.

Mark Everson of the NY Post reports that New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise is not interested in negotiating a contract extension with the club before the February 27 trade deadline.

While the pending unrestricted free agent says that he has not ruled out re-signing during the season, he would much rather try to focus on his performance on the ice rather than what’s happening off of it. And that goes for talking to the media about his contractual situation.

I’m not talking about that any more.

He did talk about it at the end of January, however, telling Rich Chere of the Star-Ledger pretty much what Everson is now reporting.

I try not to think about it. It can’t interfere with what’s ahead.

Parise also added that no contract talks were held between his camp and the Devils during the All Star break, something he reiterated to Chere February 3rd, as well.

But according to Everson, Chere, Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun, and Kevin Allen of the USA Today, Parise’s stance hasn’t made Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello any more inclined to shop his captain instead of hanging on to him and risk losing him for nothing in the summer. Lamoriello is telling all teams calling to inquire about Parise that he’s off limits. The Devils need Parise on their roster in order to win home ice advantage in the Eastern Conference and try to make a real dent in the playoffs.

I’m here to win. We’re here to win. Everybody can do all the speculating they want. But I can assure you, we’re here to win and we will do what it takes.

However, Chere believes there’s a 50/50 chance he will remain a Devil in the summer. Perhaps due to the type of deal Parise may be seeking.

Everson speculated back in late January that it could cost as much as $80 million over 10 years to lock up Parise.

Jeff Z. Klein of the New York Times suggests that the “financially challenged” Devils may not be able to afford that type of paycheck. The Devils face some serious financial difficulties that could potentially see them file for bankruptcy.

However, during an interview on SportsNet‘s HockeyCentral radio show recently, Lamoriello made it clear that that the club’s uncertain ownership situation has not, and will not, affect his ability to conduct personnel changes in any manner.

Parise appears to be under the same impression.

I don’t know too much about it really. I don’t know what’s going on behind the scenes. The only thing I’ve been told is it’s not going to make a difference. There won’t be any problems. That’s what I’m going on. I don’t really know enough about what’s happening behind the scenes with the ownership.

As for the trade rumors, the Parise says he’s not too concerned with all the speculation that’s been floating around about him and the chance of perhaps being dealt before the deadline.

Luckily it’s not up in Montreal or Toronto or anything. I know that stuff is coming. You just don’t pay attention to it. If it’s not coming right from Lou or the front office here, it’s probably not true. There’s no use for me to try and read everything that’s out there because it’s probably not true.

Everson thinks that if the Devils were to deal Parise they may end up receiving the same kind of package that they had to give the Atlanta Thrashers when they acquired Ilya Kovalchuk two years ago. That would be Johnny Oduya, Nicklas Bergfors, Patrice Cormier and a first-rounder.

Should the Devils retain Parise native past the deadline and the Minneapolis, Minnesota native ends up testing the free agent market, Garrioch expects the Minnesota Wild and Los Angeles Kings would make a pitch.

According to Barry Melrose of the NHL Network, defenseman Hall Gill and pending UFA forward Travis Moen of the Montreal Canadiens could attract a lot of attention from playoff bound teams looking to add size and veteran playoff experience before the February 27 trade deadline.

Melrose speculates that high-profile players such as pending unrestricted free agents defenseman Ryan Suter of the Nashville Predators, forward Zach Parise of the New Jersey Devils, and forward Tuomo Ruutu may follow his Carolina Hurricanes, will be put on the trade market by their respective teams, so secondary players may become much sought after.

That’s where Gill and Moen come in.

Montreal Canadiens defenseman Hal Gill. Photo courtesy Flickr user bridgetds.

ESPN’s Pierre LeBrun and Kevin Allen of the USA Today believe that the Canadiens will move Gill by the trade deadline. The 6-7, 240-pound blueliner could draw many suitors due to his hard-nosed style of play and his Stanley Cup ring.

Allen reports that the Chicago Blackhawks are shopping for a blueliner and may look at Gill among others.

Jeff Gordon of the St. Louis Post Dispatch has the St. Louis Blues being interested. CBC’s Elliotte Friedman reported earlier this month that the Blues had three scouts at a recent game between the Winnipeg Jets and Canadiens watching a left-side defenseman, thought to be Gill.

According to Kevin Paul Dupont of the Boston Globe, the Boston Bruins may look to add to their blueline. Gill would be one of several options.

Montreal Canadiens forward Travis Moen.

According to the Toronto Sun, the Canadiens like what Moen brings to the table but wouldn’t mind moving the former Anaheim Duck because (1) they don’t think they can fit him under the salary cap, and (2) they would like want to give their prospects more playing time.

Like Gill, Moen has won a Stanley Cup and has been a great playoff performer while being a defensively responsible forward and playing a gritty game. As Allen point out, Moen would be much sought after by contending teams.

So far, LeBrun reports that the Pittsburgh Penguins are interested. Dave Lozo of NHL.com has the Detroit Red Wings looking at him as a possibility.

The Toronto Sun reported recently that there is “growing interest” in Moen, with the San Jose Sharks in hot pursuit.

The report also mentions that before teams trade for Moen, they will want to see how he comes back from an upper-body injury he suffered January 21st. Moen has just resumed light skating and is expected to be out for at least another week.

Red Wings general manager Ken Holland tells Khan that while the priority is the February 27 trade deadline, he and his staff will put together a more comprehensive plan going forward.

We’ll go over all the teams, we’ll go over our team, the real emphasis is on the trade deadline. But there’s also free agency on July 1. We’ll go over what we think we need and what might be out there for the trade deadline and also free agency.

Anaheim Ducks forward Teemu Selanne. Photo courtesy Flickr user bridgetds.

Khan suggests that the Red Wings’s immidiate focus will be on bolstering their forward group with a scoring winger and/or “an abrasive third- or fourth-line forward.” The names being floated around have been that of Carolina Hurricanes’ Tuomo Ruutu, Edmonton Oilers‘ Ales Hemsky and Anaheim Ducks’ Teemu Selanne. Selanne has long been a target of the Red Wings in the past, but have always failed to acquire. Should the Ducks make him available the Red Wings may make another attempt.

Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Bryan Allen. Photo courtesy Flickr user bridgetds.

Ted Kulfan of the Detroit News also believes that Hurricanes defenseman Bryan Allen and New York Islanders goalie Evgeni Nabokov may also be in the mix.

With $5.7 million of salary cap space at their disposal, the money is there to bring in a number of depth players before the deadline. Or perhaps go after an impact player. Not so fast, says Holland. The Red Wings GM is looking to add a more of a “complementary piece than a star player” and aren’t interested in parting with anything other than “draft picks, middling prospects and/or fringe players.”

Barring some star player getting moved, the trade deadline is about adding the right pieces, complementary pieces to fill out your roster. There’s the odd trade at the deadline that changes the balance of power, but at the end of the day, when I look at the Vancouver Canucks last year, they made some real nice trades at the deadline that gave them some depth, brought them some grit and were important players. Boston made two or three trades as well. They weren’t the big names, they were guys that were the perfect fit.

With both Shane Doan of the Phoenix Coyotes and Jarome Iginla of the Calgary Flames highly unlikely to be put on the trade market by their respective teams, high profile names may be few and far between.

The Ducks may decide that in addition to a veteran like Selanne, they may explore the possibility of trading stars Corey Perry, Ryan Getzlaf and Bobby Ryan, but the asking price (rumored to be established NHL players) may be too rich for the Red Wing’s blood.

That could leave New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise and Nashville Predators‘ defenseman Ryan Suter as the biggest names in play this trade deadline.

Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter. Photo courtesy Flickr user bridgetds.

Both are impending unrestricted free agents and may be shopped if they can’t be re-signed by their respective clubs before the 27th of February. However, the Red Wings may opt to keep the assets they would have to trade for Parise and Suter, and go after them in the summer when they be acquired for money alone.

Regardless, Holland expects things to heat up witching the next month or so.

Some teams are going to see in the next 4-5 weeks if they’re playing their way into being a buyer, a seller or sort of status quo. Last year, (deals) started to happen a month out, early February, so we’ll see.

And he’ll be prepared for whatever comes his way.

We like the way the team has performed. A lot of people have had good first halves. But the trade deadline is coming. We have a lot of cap space. We’ve done a lot of drafting and developing since 2005, saving our picks. I don’t know if we have to do anything, but certainly in the next six weeks we’re going to explore.

As much as Parise wants to play for a team with a shot at winning the Stanley Cup, money will also be a factor in where he signs his next contract. Parise admitted as much to Rich Chere of The Star-Ledger. So the Devils will have to ate up if they want to keep him.

For me that’s probably the biggest thing. The money is definitely important. That’s real life, let’s face it. I’m not going to say it’s not. That’s realistic. But most important for me is being competitive and having a chance to win the Stanley Cup.

J.P. Parise echoed his son’s sentiments to Mike Sielski of the Wall Street Journal.

He’s overly loyal, and he’s not going to rush into anything. He’s always loved the New Jersey Devils. He’s been extremely loyal to the organization, to his teammates. But this is business now.

So if Parise prices himself out of what the Devils can afford, what do they do?

The Devils could trade Parise before the trade deadline.

Toronto Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that Devils General Manager Lou Lamoriello has already started to investigate what Parise may be worth on the trade market. Garrioch guesses Lamoriello would ask for nothing less than “a top young player, a prospect and a first-round pick” in exchange for Parise.

However, as The Edmonton Journal points out, the Devils aren’t likely to move Parise because they’ll need him to secure a playoff spot. That is important to them because the franchise is currently going through some much documented financial issues, so any extra revenue would help tremendously.

But as Tim Panaccio of NBC Sports’ Pro Hockey Talk blog points out, if the Devils don’t lock up their star forward before the season’s end, Parise may be as good as gone. And he could be right, as interest in the 27-year-old will be high.

Garrioch reports that Minnesota Wild will be the number one suitor for Parise — who is a Minneapolis, Minnesota native. The Globe and Mail’s Eric Duhatschek expects the Wild along with the Los Angeles Kings to pursue Parise.

And add the Detroit Red Wings to the list of teams that covet Parise, according to The Edmonton Journal. Apparently, Red Wings General Manager Ken Holland would love to sign Parise this summer and may offer a deal worth “five years at an average of $8.25 million” for his services.

Those dollar figures are in line with Panaccio’s approximation of what Parise could earn on average in his next contract, while Chere speculates that Parise could fetch upwards of $45 million on a five year deal. Would the Devils be able to match or better any of those offers?

When asked by Sielski whether negotiations have taken place with Parise about a new deal, Lamoriello was evasive.

We will do everything we can to have him be here.

However, Wade Arnott, Parise’s agent, told Chere recently that he has not had any talks with Lamoriello about a new contract for his client. Teams and players are allowed to begin negotiating new deals January 1st, according to the NHL’s current Collective Bargaining Agreement.

Nothing new to report and nothing in the near future.

Still, Parise doesn’t appear to be bothered.

It doesn’t bother me that we haven’t talked yet. I know how Lou likes operate. He doesn’t like distractions during the season. I would think they’d talk sometime soon.