Zach Parise, Ryan Suter join Wild on 13-year deals
CBC –
The Minnesota Wild have landed two of the most sought-after free agents on the market, signing forward Zach Parise and defenceman Ryan Suter to multiyear contracts on Wednesday.
Terms for both players are reportedly identical 13-year, $98 million US deals.
"This is a great day in the history of the Minnesota Wild," said Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher. "We are extremely excited to add the collective skill, experience and character of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to an already promising roster.
"We view this as a rare opportunity for us to transform our franchise by adding two marquee players, who are both in the prime of their careers, at the same time."
Parise, who will turn 28 in less than a month, is fresh off a one-year, $6 million pact with the New Jersey Devils. He notched 31 goals and 38 assists last year in 69 games after an injury-plagued 2010-11 campaign in which he was limited to just 13 contests.
The former Devils captain was instrumental in the team's run to the Stanley Cup final against the Los Angeles Kings this year, scoring eight goals and seven assists in 24 games.
His father, J.P., spent parts of nine seasons with the Minnesota North Stars.
In his seven-year career — all with the Devils — Parise has 194 goals and 216 assists. His best season came in 2008-09 when he put up 45 goals and 49 assists and Parise has scored at least 30 goals five times and was originally drafted 17th overall in 2003.
The two players have laced up their skates on the same squad before, leading the U.S. Olympic team to a silver medal at the 2010 Games in Vancouver where Suter served as assistant captain.
Suter scored seven goals and 39 assists in 79 regular season games last year as a member of the Nashville Predators. The 27-year-old added one goal and three assists in the Predators' playoff run this past spring.
Originally drafted seventh overall in the first round of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft by the Predators, he had spent his entire seven-year career with the team and amassed 38 goals and 200 assists and was plus-43 over the span of 542 games.
Suter is coming off a four-year deal in which he earned an annual salary of $3.5 million.
Earlier in the day, Minnesota added centre Jake Dowell for two years.
