NHL

Parise logical choice for Devils captain

Think it through. The Devils must make Zach Parise captain.

The sole argument against his coronation is that he is on a one-year contract and might leave, making him a one-year captain. So what?

If he stays, the Devils next year must strip whoever was chosen of the captaincy to give it to Parise — risking more hurt feelings for an important player, whoever he is, or else deprive of Parise of the “C” permanently. Next fall, it won’t matter who was captain this season.

If Parise leaves and was not made captain this season, the valid complaint would be that the Devils never made the full commitment to him, so why should he have? It might not hurt the chances of keeping him, but it won’t help. An Ilya Kovalchuk captaincy this year always will have a tinge of second-choice about it.

If Parise leaves as captain, the Devils will rightfully claim to have done all they could to retain him, and they will go on with a new captain, probably Kovalchuk, who, after all, has not been in New Jersey as long as Parise has. Next season, Parise will appear to have been the right choice for this season, either way, and he certainly is the right choice for this season now.

The decision is for this season, and picking anyone else would be a signal that the Devils don’t expect Parise back next season.