Avalanche sign Zach Parise to one-year contract

The 39-year-old Parise appeared in 82 games with the New York Islanders last season, scoring 21 goals and 13 assists for 34 points. He was third on the team in goals. Over two seasons with the Islanders, Parise collected 36 goals and 33 assists for 69 points.

“We are excited to add Zach to our group,” said Avalanche General Manager Chris MacFarland. “Over his impressive NHL career, Zach has always been a highly competitive and driven forward who is hard to play against. We look forward to adding his veteran presence to our locker room.”

Taken 17th overall in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, Parise has played 18 NHL seasons. He’s scored 429 goals and 450 assists for 879 points in 1,224 career games, dressing for the Islanders, Minnesota Wild and the New Jersey Devils.

His two best seasons came while playing for the Devils, where in 2008-09, he scored a career-high 45 goals and 49 assists for 94 points, then followed it up the next season with 38 goals and 44 assists for 82 points. A native of Minneapolis, Minn., Parise has reached the 30-goal mark six times, four with the Devils and twice with the Wild.

The Avalanche are 31-14-3 with 65 points, second in the Central Division. They’re 7-3-0 in their last 10 games and have won two straight. They play their final game before the All-Star break on Friday as they host the Los Angeles Kings.