What's in store for Parise?

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The Minneapolis Star Tribune describes how Zach Parise smiled, then deftly eluded the question with a skill that comes with repetition.

He hopes to remain with the New Jersey Devils long-term, he said. The fact that he is playing on a one-year contract had more do with circumstances than calculation.

Parise and his teammates practiced at Xcel Energy Center on Thursday, preparing for Friday's game with the Wild. For Parise, a Minnesota native who played at Faribault Shattuck St. Mary's and then at the University of North Dakota, this is a homecoming. His dad, former North Stars winger J.P. Parise, watched practice from the stands. Zach, his fiancée and parents were all scheduled to have dinner Thursday. Oh, and Parise will also get his first look at the house he recently bought in Orono since the deal closed. About 35 family and friends will be at the game Friday.

So, with Parise about to become a free agent, a lot of Wild fans would like the talented winger to land in Minnesota permanently. The team could use his stellar two-way play, and the Wild figures to have the salary cap room to at least be a player should Parise hit the free-agent market. Because he signed a one-year deal with the Devils -- done with arbitration looming and contract talks going slowly -- he can't talk extension with New Jersey until after Jan. 1.

Parise will be fielding questions about his future all season. All he would say Thursday was that it was great to get home to Minnesota, even for just one game.

But what about that future?

His dad thinks the most important thing for his son will be to be with a team that has a good chance to win. Right now the Devils are struggling on the ice and off, with the franchise in financial difficulty. There are reports the team is headed toward bankruptcy.

"Money will be a factor, of course," J.P. Parise said. "But he likes to win, he likes to have a chance, he likes to compete. ... That's why he decided to accept a one-year contract. He wants to see where [the Devils] are heading, what kind of players they have. They have acquired some good young players. He's not going to rush into anything. He'll take his time, analyze the whole thing.''

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch indicates the Blues' offense and the power play could be getting a lift soon.

David Perron, who has been sidelined for 14 months while recovering from post-concussion syndrome, could return to the lineup as soon as this weekend.

He practiced with the second-team power-play unit Thursday and will not make the trip to Colorado for the Blues' game tonight, signaling he might be preparing for a good night's rest and a return Saturday when the Blues host Chicago.

"I've been going hard over the last week and a half," Perron said. "I think that it's been going pretty good."

The decision to play will be Perron's. Teammates sense it's coming soon.

"Everyone has been waiting and I think it's time," T.J. Oshie said. "We're ready for that 'Perron spark' ... it's going to be a special day when he comes back."

The Boston Herald says it was tough for Bruins general manager Peter Chiarelli. It was hard for Toronto counterpart Brian Burke.

But when Joe Colborne was traded to Toronto last Feb. 18 in a package for Tomas Kaberle, the person who felt the sting the most was the youngster himself.

“I was pretty disappointed when it happened,’’ Colborne said. “I loved Boston. I loved everything about Boston. You could see they were on a path for a lot of success. It was tough.

“But since I’ve been here, the organization’s welcomed me with open arms. It’s been unbelievable. I love the city. I love the guys, management - they’ve been great to me. I’m pretty happy with where I am now.’’

The Bruins were wary of trading Colborne. The former University of Denver star projected to be a top-six forward, either at center or wing. He was a leader during development camps. Last year, in his only training camp with the Bruins, management and the coaching staff liked Colborne’s mature approach.

But Colborne, who will turn 22 Jan. 30, might not have made the varsity roster until next season. The Bruins are deep in the middle. Colborne’s better shot might have been at left wing.

“It’s all speculation now,’’ said Colborne. “They’re deep at center, too. It would have been a tough decision, I’m sure.’’

But The Globe notes that trading Colborne was part of doing business for the Bruins in their pursuit of the Stanley Cup. The Leafs needed a young, broad-shouldered presence up front. Zach Hamill wouldn’t have gotten the deal done.

The trade can be considered from two angles. Trading Colborne, a 2011 first-rounder, and a 2012 second-rounder was costly for Kaberle. However, given that the Bruins wouldn’t have won the Cup without Kaberle (11 assists in 25 playoff games), it is a trade Chiarelli would make every day.

For now, it will be Colborne’s job to prove the Bruins paid too much for the Kaberle rental. He only has to look back at last year as motivation.

“It was hard watching, knowing that I could have been up there, watching and being a part of it,’’ said Colborne. “At the same time, you feel happy for them.

“I went through the whole Philadelphia series the year before. I realized how much hard work went into that. Right from management on down, they had one big gut-check. The way they came back and bounced back was pretty neat. I’m happy for the guys.’’

The Chicago Tribune details how Patrick Kane raced down the right side of the ice and took a pass from Jonathan Toews before cutting to the net and putting a shot on goal.

It was just like old times during Blackhawks practice Thursday as Kane skated at right wing after playing center since training camp. For now, at least, the experiment to move the 23-year-old from wing to the middle has ended after 24 games.

"Center worked for a little bit," Kane said after practice. "It's still an option. Sometimes you just have to keep things exciting and switch it up. I have to get used to it a bit but it shouldn't take long."

Kane had seven goals and 17 assists while playing the middle this season, but like many of his teammates has tailed off offensively recently with just three assists in the last six games.

"I got pretty comfortable at the position," Kane said. "I'll still try to do some things I did at center where you're trying to get the puck a lot down low (and) moving up ice."

The worry when coach Joel Quenneville initially shifted Kane was that the offensive-minded playmaker would struggle with the defensive tasks of the position. But Kane proved he could handle them, sporting a plus-9 rating.

"(It's) being focused every second you're on the ice, no matter if you're in the offensive or defensive zone," Kane said of the adjustment. "Faceoffs were something I probably would like to improve. Being down low in your own end, I was pretty good at it. I tracked the puck well."

Quenneville said the move worked.

"Kane at center has been a good option for us. We like two of (Patrick) Sharp, Kane, (Marian) Hossa and Toews playing together.

Rookie Marcus Kruger now will center for the second line.

"Marcus gives us an option based on his performance. We'll see how he handles (centering for) top guys (Hossa and Sharp). It's more of an experiment that way as well.

"Knowing you always have Kane in the middle in your back pocket is nice. The flexibility you have can change in the middle of games or periods when you don't like the way things are going."

The Winnipeg Sun points out that Shane Doan got booed every time he touched the puck on Thursday night, but the former Winnipeg Jet will always remember the standing ovation he got from the crowd.

The Coyotes captain was shown on the scoreboard video screen during a TV timeout in the first period, and most of those in attendance cheered. Doan couldn’t help but smile, and then the crowd got to its feet and roared some more for the 35-year-old.

“It was pretty special,” Doan said afterwards in the deserted Coyotes dressing room. “It’s not too often you get to experience something like that, and I’m very grateful and thankful for that. It meant a lot to me.”

Then the crowd went back to booing him every time he touched the puck. It was no doubt in response to his statement last spring that he didn’t want the Coyotes to move to Winnipeg because Arizona had become home for him and his family. Then again, every member of the Coyotes got booed on Thursday night in the organization’s first visit to Winnipeg since it left in 1996.

“You’d expect that. You’re an opposing team,” Doan said. “You’re playing against their team. I’m more than OK with that. That’s good. That’s fun. That’s what fans are supposed to do.”

No visiting team has been booed like Doan and the Coyotes were on Thursday night, however.

“That’s OK,” said Doan, who was Winnipeg’s first-round draft pick in 1995. “They were so generous and gracious with the standing O. I actually didn’t know what to say or to do. It was very nice.”

Doan spent his rookie NHL season in Winnipeg, scoring seven goals in 74 games. He moved with the franchise to Phoenix and has never left.

"If I didn't believe that this was a team that had the possibilities and the makings of something special, I think I would have sat at home and waited," Bruce Boudreau told The Orange County Register of his opportunity with the Anaheim Ducks, which came up shortly after he was fired by the Washington Capitals earlier this week. "But I don't think opportunities like this come around every day, with the talent that we have here."

The Buffalo News believes the Sabres' offense figures to get a boost tonight with the return of winger Tyler Ennis to the lineup for the game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Ennis suffered a high ankle sprain Oct. 22 at Tampa Bay and has missed 17 games. He hits December pointless in seven games -- after collecting 20 goals and 49 points last year as a rookie.

"I feel ready. I felt good," Ennis said. "I can use my speed. I feel fast, like I can do everything I need to do."

Ennis skated Thursday on left wing with Derek Roy and Drew Stafford. Ville Leino was moved off that line and joined Luke Adam and Zack Kassian.

The hope is that Ennis can boost a sagging group of forwards full of slumps. Paul Gaustad has gone 22 games without a goal while Nathan Gerbe (12 games), Stafford (11), Leino (9) and Roy (7) all have goalless droughts going. Even leading scorer Thomas Vanek is struggling, with just one goal in his last eight games.

"We need production," said coach Lindy Ruff. "I don't need to stand here after [tonight's] game and explain to you how we missed all these opportunities again. We need to take some pride, be harder in those situations, bear down and make sure they go into the back of the net."

The Philadelphia Inquirer reports that Flyers defenseman Chris Pronger, who underwent surgery on his left knee on Tuesday, said he is still battling a mysterious virus.

In a conference call with reporters Thursday, Pronger said he was not over the virus and added, "I don't know what's going on."

The Flyers had said that his virus symptoms were almost gone and that if he didn't have the knee problem, they were hopeful he would have been able to play Friday.

Pronger, 37, said he has been experiencing headaches and nausea like never before. He revealed he passed a concussion test.

"It's been a bit of a mystery with what exactly is going on," he said. "I did some blood work, and we're trying to get to the bottom of what's going on."

Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren has said the blood work showed "no worries."

The Inquirer points out that Pronger's surgery was his fifth in 16 months. He said most of the injuries were fluky, caused by getting hit with pucks, and implied he wasn't breaking down because of his age.

He said he would start his knee rehab Friday.

The Flyers said Pronger would be sidelined for four weeks. Pronger said that was a "ballpark number" and that it could be three to six weeks.

The Flyers play in Anaheim, the franchise Pronger helped win its first Stanley Cup in 2007, on Friday night. If the Flyers were playing in the playoffs, Pronger said, he would not have had the surgery and would have played through the pain.

"But it got to the point where I wouldn't have played very well," he said. "We can always say we can play, but at what level and at what detriment are you playing? At this stage in the season, not knowing the other side of it, it was prudent to get it done now so that if I'm able to return in four weeks, let's say, then I'm able to get three weeks in before the all-star break and then put the hammer down after that, as we get into the playoff stretch."

Lonely End of the Rink: "Doc, I've been offered Ovechkin/Clowe/Streit for Benn/St.Louis/Letang.

10 team keeper league (keep 4). I have fallen to 8th place. Mostly due to goaltending. Seems that every year no matter what goalies I have, I am at the bottom of pile in those stats. Categories are: G, A, SOG, PPP, SHP, PIM, + -, Hits, W, SV%, GAA. I am last in every goalie category and 3rd from last in goals. If I accept the trade (which I want to), I have to drop one of Burrows or Semin or try to deal one of them for a goalie before I can accept.

My team: C - Getzlaf, Malkin, Dubinsky lw, LW - Benn c, Semin rw, Burrows rw, RW - St. Louis, Stewart, Jagr, D - Green ir, Visnovsky ir, Giordano ir, Letang dtd, Wideman G - Bryzgalov, Broduer, Halak

Looking to see if another owner would go for a either Semin or Burrows + either Broduer of Halak combination for Price. He need PIM/ Hits. Also thinking of adding Dubinsky and asking for Skinner. thanks."

Chris: In terms of the trade itself, I like it in terms of being able to add Ovechkin to your four keepers. I'd do it for that alone, despite the fact that Benn and Letang are excellent young assets. St. Louis is St. Louis, but he's still older.

What I don't like is having to drop Burrows or Semin. You'll have to figure out a second trade, like you're trying to do. I still like your current goaltending for this season in the long run and I am also fine with Bryz as your keeper goalie. Even Halak's value will continue to rise, but you're dealing with only four keepers so that's maybe less of an issue.

I guess you really need to decide what your odds of winning are this year, from eighth place now. If goaltending is really the only real hurdle, I think you're going to make up big ground on that front. Enough to win? Hard to say.

But you have a chance to get a truly elite talent in Ovechkin. I wouldn't pass it up. Maybe you can even work something extra in with that owner to fit your positional needs. Either way, I think people will rue the day they doubted Ovechkin's ability to get back to a superstar level... as seems to be the case among a growing number of people.

Rusty, Toronto, Ontario: "Hi Chris

Need help with my team, not 100 % confident in my team as Im off to a rocky start and now have fantasy anxiety

head vs head, Points, +/-, PIM,PPP, SHP, GWG, SOG, FW, and hits

C- E.Staal, P. Stasny LW- Vanek, Cammalari RW- Perry, Kovalchuk D- Campbell, Salo, Whitney, Leddy ( dropped Shattenkirk to get him) IR- Visnovksy and Pronger (same day Whitney got back) Util- J.Staal Bench- Vrbata, Prospal, Hedjuk. Just picked up P.Dupuis (Dropped Pacioretty due to suspension)

FA forwards choices are: Little, Gagne, Pacioretty (when he gets back) ,Neil (IR still), Clutterbuck (Not sure if injured) S. Ott (just made available), Hanzal, Oshie (C/RW),Antropov, M.Cullen, Filpulla,C.Smith,M.Read, Voracek, Bozak,C.Kelly, Horcoff Defence- Markov (IR- not sure how to get him as I already have 2 D on IR already)

What should I do? Thanks again !"

Chris: A few of your stars need to do more and injuries haven't helped here. But Vanek has been money, Perry is coming on and Kovalchuk still has a bit more to give.

For the most part I'd say you could be patient, but there are a few small changes you could make. Vrbata has done quite well, but I'd be more inclined to go with someone like Filppula. Hejduk is fine too, but you might want to give Oshie a try. Potentially better with +/- thanks to the Hitchcock switch and Oshie can also be used at two positions, which is more helpful in H2H nightly.

Email: chris.nichols@sportsnet.rogers.com

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­Chris Nichols is Sportsnet.ca's fantasy hockey writer.