Andrew Gross

Staff Writer, @AGrossRecord

NEWARK — How the Devils fare in this upcoming stretch of five games in eight days, starting with Tuesday night’s game against the Avalanche at Prudential Center, will go a long way to determining general manager Ray Shero’s strategy for the March 1 trade deadline.

Which means it will almost certainly determine whether veteran right wing P.A. Parenteau, signed to a one-year, $1.25 million deal, remains with the team.

“No, I don’t,” Parenteau said Monday when asked whether he had a sense for the Devils’ plans for him. “I have a little bit of an idea, obviously. We’re not stupid. We know where we stand in the organization, but I feel like they’re pretty happy with what I’ve brought to the table this year. If it comes to an extension, I have no idea. I think the next couple of weeks are going to be huge when it comes to that.”

The Devils remain five points out of the Eastern Conference’s final playoff spot after coming out of their bye week with a flat, 4-1 loss to the Sharks on Sunday. Parenteau scored the Devils’ lone goal, his first in 15 games, to give him 13 goals and 12 assists this season.

Parenteau, while remaining on the power play, has been used on the fourth line the past six games, including the last four on a trio with center Sergey Kalinin and Albany (AHL) call-up Joseph Blandisi.

Video: Devils' John Moore previews game vs. Avalanche

“I want to stay here,” said Parenteau, claimed off waivers from the Islanders just before the regular season. “They’ve been great to me. I feel I’ve been playing good hockey. Obviously, I’ve been on the fourth line for a few games now, but I’m still getting some decent ice time. I’m still putting points on the board. In the best world, I wouldn’t be on the fourth line, but I’m working hard to get back in the top six.

“I want to win games, and that’s the way I’m not going to get traded, the rumors aside,” Parenteau added. “If we win games, we won’t be making any moves. That’s pretty much what the mindset is for everyone here.”

Of course, Parenteau has been through this trade deadline uncertainty before. That included last season with the Maple Leafs, when he matched his career high with 20 goals and added 21 assists in 77 games. He played on a one-year, $1.5 million deal after the Canadiens bought out the final season of a four-year, $16 million deal he initially signed with the Avalanche in 2012.

“I went through it last year,” Parenteau said. “I was having a really good year and I didn’t get traded. Who knows? The market changes every year. I’m aware of my age, and when I sign a one-year deal like that, if the team is going to be out of playoff contention, there’s a chance I get moved.”

Parenteau said he was hoping to sign a two-year deal this past off-season but wound up taking the Islanders’ one-year offer. His best seasons came with the Islanders, as he had 20 goals and 33 assists in 2010-11 while setting career highs the following season with 49 assists and 67 points.

“I had a really bad year in Montreal, and that really hurt me,” Parenteau said of 2014-15, when he had eight goals and 14 assists in 56 games in his only season with the Canadiens. “But I feel like I’m still a good player. I feel like I have a lot to give. We’ll see where that takes me.”

BRIEFS: Defenseman Jon Merrill (upper body), who has missed four games, and forward Beau Bennett (lower body), who has missed eight games, could be available Tuesday. Both remained on injured reserve on Monday but practiced with the team. … Defenseman Kyle Quincey (upper body), also on injured reserve, skated on his own on Monday and will miss his third straight game.

E-mail: grossa@northjersey.com