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Parise and Suter sign with Wild


THE SIX KINGS
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Wild land top forward, defenseman in Parise, Suter

 

Wednesday, 07.04.2012 / 12:29 PM / NHL Free Agency 2012

By Dan Rosen and Corey Masisak - NHL.com Staff Writers

 

 

 

 

The Minnesota Wild landed the top forward and defenseman on the free agent market Wednesday.

Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported defenseman Ryan Suter agreed to terms with the Wild, and minutes later Pierre LeBrun of ESPN.com and TSN reported that so too had forward Zach Parise, marking a monumental day in the history of the young franchise.

LeBrun reported both deals are for 13 years and $98 million, which locks them up through the 2024-25 season and would carry a salary cap hit of $7.538 million per campaign.

There were reports this week that Parise and Suter had talked to each other about possibly playing together somewhere, and the Wild became the beneficiaries as one of the few franchises that could afford both of them.

Parise was the Devils' captain last season and has played in New Jersey for his entire seven-year career after the Devils selected him in the first round of the 2003 NHL Draft. He has 194 goals and 216 assists for 410 points in 502 games. He had 31 goals and 38 assists for 69 points in 82 games this past season and helped the Devils reach the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2003.

However, Parise couldn't resist the temptation to go home to play for the Wild. Not only is he from Minneapolis, his parents, including former NHL player J.P. Parise, still live there and Parise has a home in the Twin Cities area.

Parise, who turns 28 on July 28, also plans to get married this summer. His fiancée, Alisha Woods, is from North Dakota.

Parise played four seasons of high school hockey at Shattuck-St. Mary's in Faribault, Minn. His father worked in the program when he was there. He went on to play two seasons at the University of North Dakota, where he met his fiancée.

The Wild were always thought of as strong contenders for Parise because of his ties to the area. Minnesota has not made the playoffs since finishing third in the Western Conference in 2008. After a promising start, the Wild finished 12th in the Western Conference with 81 points this past season.

Wild coach Mike Yeo knows Parise well from coaching against him from 2005-10 as an assistant with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Wild needs Parise to boost their offense. They were last in the NHL last season with 2.02 goals-per game and 27th on the power play at 15.1 percent. Parise has scored at least 30 goals in five of his six full seasons (he missed 69 games of the 2010-11 season with a knee injury). Parise scored 45 goals and put up 94 points in 2008-09.

Parise joins a forward group that already includes Mikko Koivu, Dany Heatley, Devin Setoguchi and Matt Cullen. Mikael Granlund is considered one of Minnesota's top prospects that could make the team this coming season.

Suter had seven goals and 46 points for the Nashville Predators this past season, forming arguably the League's top defensive pairing with Shea Weber and the backbone of a Stanley Cup contender along with goaltender Pekka Rinne.

A Madison, Wisc., native, Suter averaged 26:30 of ice time per game in 2011-12, a career-high and the third-most in the League. He will be 28 years old in January, and Suter has collected at least 37 points in each of the past four seasons.

While Weber has been a Norris Trophy finalist in each of the past two seasons, but Suter is also considered one of the League's top defensemen. Moving to Minnesota could give him a chance to earn more recognition, but also means there will be more pressure to perform away from Weber.

Suter spent two seasons with the U.S. National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor, Mich., before returning home to play at the University of Wisconsin for one year. After spending the 2004-05 work stoppage with Milwaukee in the American Hockey League, Suter joined the Predators at the start of the 2005-06 campaign.

He has averaged at least 23:59 of ice time per game in each of the past four seasons, and Suter also had four assists for the United States at the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Suter joins a Minnesota defense that has several young talents but lacked an anchor, a guy who can play more than 25 minutes and in all situations. Obviously, the Wild expect Suter to be that guy.

Minnesota welcomed the Wild into the NHL for the 2000-01 season, but in one day the 2012-13 edition has become the most talented roster in club history.

The Wild have made the playoffs only three times and advanced past the first round only once, but they could be among the top contenders in the Western Conference with the additions of Parise and Suter, as well as the arrival of a couple elite prospects in the near future.

Edited by THE SIX KINGS
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Unbelievable. Very un-Minnesota of the Wild to go out and get not only one but the two top UFAs available. Hugh move for the team. :clap: to Fletch and Leipold!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clearly this means there will not be an NHL season and/or the world will be coming to an end sometime between now and October...

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I guess they outbid the Flyers....the Flyers are known to be very aggressive and were beaten out for them....very impressive...

 

 

maybe not, they are both from that area. Flyers are really spinning their wheels but these moves are great for Minny

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Both players have admitted they received offers for more money. Sounds like (in the end) it was the chance to play together, and the future outlook of the Wild that swayed them (along with the 13/$98mil of course). As Zooty said, they both have ties to the area which no doubt helped as well. Parise is from MN and still makes his home here. His folks live here, too. Suter is a drunken Sconny but his old lady is from Bloomington evidently.

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  • 9 years later...

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