Minnesota Wild Re-Sign 3 Players; Close To Deal With Nick Palmieri, According To Report

According to Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune, the Minnesota Wild have re-signed David McIntyre, Carson McMillan and Jarod Palmer. All three players spent the majority of the 2011-12 season with the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League, the minor league affiliate of the Wild.

In addition, Russo reports that the team is close to a deal with restricted free agent Nick Palmieri.

Back in town. Housekeeping items: #MNWild has re-signed David McIntyre,Carson McMillan, Jarod Palmer. Nick Palmieri said to be close

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) July 30, 2012

Palmieri was picked with the No. 79 overall selection in the 2007 NHL Entry Draft by the New Jersey Devils and spent the last two seasons playing with the club before being acquired by the Wild on February 24 via trade.

He has played in 78 career games at the NHL level registering 13 goals and 12 assists for a total of 25 points.

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NHL Free Agency: Zach Parise, Ryan Suter Hope To Make Minnesota A Destination For Players, According To Report

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, who each signed free-agent deals with the Minnesota Wild, hope to make Minnesota a coveted landing spot for NHL free agents, according to the Associated Press.

Parise and Suter inked identical 13-year, $98 million contracts with the Wild. The move has generated plenty of excitement within the organization -- and hopefully outside of it, as well.

From the AP:

When Parise and fellow blue-chip free agent Ryan Suter decided to sign matching 13-year, $98 million contracts with the Wild, part of their aim was to turn Minnesota into a destination for the best pros in the league.

"I think at the end of the day, hopefully, with Ryan and I coming here, good players want to play with good players," Parise said Monday when he was introduced along with Suter at a press conference. "Hopefully that helps influence some people if they need some and we have a lot of friends around the league so hopefully that will help, too."

There's a certain chip on the collective shoulder of sports fans in these parts who have grown tired of being overshadowed by the big cities and seeing their teams passed over time and again by the most high-profile free agents in favor of sexier locales.

The Wild have not made any free agent acquisitions since signing Parise and Suter, who were formally introduced at the Xcel Energy Center on Monday.

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Ryan Suter, Zach Parise Already Causing Uptick In Ticket Sales And Expectations, According To Report

The Minnesota Wild formally introduced Ryan Suter and Zach Parise at a Monday press conference at the Xcel Energy Center, the first public appearance by the free agent duo since they signed with the Wild.

According to an article from The Star Tribune, there is already a buzz surrounding the team heading into next season.

From the article:

"First things first, I've got to pinch myself," said owner Craig Leipold... "Free agents of Zach's and Ryan's caliber are often attracted to the major markets, where there is more attention, brighter spotlights and, frankly, more money. These two chose Minnesota ... and in doing so have transformed our franchise. We've all walked a little taller since July 4th."

Leipold invited the entire Wild staff to the news conference....The looks on their faces conveyed just how much big of a morale booster this has been for a staff that feels losses, in a lot of ways, harder than the players.

Parise and Suter jerseys are flying off the shelves. Almost 2,000 season-tickets have been sold....

Minnesota was 35-36-11 last season, but it pulled the offseason's headline coup by inking identical 13-year, $98 million deal with Suter and Parise.

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Zach Parise, Ryan Suter Named Alternate Captains For Wild In 2012-13

The Minnesota Wild shocked the world when they pulled off the dual-signings of top free agents Ryan Suter and Zach Parise. Both players were speculated about for months leading up to the end of the season, with a plethora of teams reportedly showing interest in the clear top-two free agents. At the last minute, it was reported that the two free agents would like to play for the same team, and then the Wild came out on top.

On Monday, the Wild introduced Parise and Suter to the press, with both players sporting jerseys with an "A" on them. That stands for "Alternate," as both players will be alternate captains for the team in 2012-13. Pro Hockey Talk had a quote from head coach Mike Yeo about the honor:

"[You don't make] the type of commitment for these types of players unless you bring in two quality human beings," Yeo said. "What they do on the ice speaks for itself, but what they will add to our group from a leadership and character standpoint - they're going to play a huge role for us, and we're expecting them to be leaders for a long time."

That's high praise for these guys, who certainly haven't had a chance to spend a large amount of time with the guys in the locker room. Being named a captain or alternate captain in hockey is always a big deal, and with matching 13-year contracts, these two guys will have a chance to be long-time leaders for the Wild. Mikko Koivu is the captain going forward, but Parise and Suter are leap-frogging Dany Heatley and Matt Cullen for the alternate spots.

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NHL Free Agency 2012: Minnesota Wild Sign Defenseman Brian Connelly

The Minnesota Wild grabbed headlines in this month when they landed big fish free agents Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Minnesota hauled in another free agent on Friday, albeit a smaller one. Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reported on Friday that the Wild added defenseman Brian Connelly.

Source says #mnwild signs offensive Dman Brian Connelly of Bloomington to a 2-year, 2-way deal (2nd-leading AHL blue-line scorer last yr)

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) July 6, 2012

Connelly scored six goals and 52 points in the AHL last year splitting time between the Rockford IceHogs and Abbotsford Heat. He was second in scoring among all defensemen in the AHL in 2011-2012. He will battle in the preseason to make the final roster for the Wild, but his scoring touch is more than enough to intrigue fans and the coaching staff.

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Ryan Suter, Zach Parise Contracts Won't Hurt Minnesota Wild's Salary Cap

The Minnesota Wild were the clear-cut winners in the 2012 free agency class when they managed to retain the services of the two biggest players on the open market with identical 13-year, $98 million contracts to both Ryan Suter and Zach Parise.

However, along with their talents comes the burden of a huge financial commitment in the salary cap era, which potentially could cause problems down the line. Due to some creative contract structuring and foresight by the Minnesota front-office, that shouldn't become an issue.

Here is the structure of both Parise and Suter's contract via Twin Cities:

2012-13: $10 million signing bonus, $2 million base salary
2013-14: $10 million signing bonus, $2 million base salary
2014-15: $5 million signing bonus, $6 million base salary
2015-16: $9 million base salary
2016-17: $9 million base salary
2017-18: $9 million base salary
2018-19: $9 million base salary
2019-20: $9 million base salary
2020-21: $8 million base salary
2021-22: $6 million base salary
2022-23: $2 million base salary
2023-24: $1 million base salary
2024-25: $1 million base salary

By structuring the deals like this, both payers will have an annual cap-hit of $7.53 million per season despite the changes in real money being paid.

This actually saves the club a little over $2 million dollars in terms of the cap-hit during the peak years of the deal when the organization is paying the two players $9 million dollars in real money.

Most importantly, the Wild are only committed to Parise, Suter and Mikko Koivu past the 2014-15 season, which will allow the team to have salary cap relief throughout the years. While the club probably won't be making any more huge splashes any time soon, they will have a superstar core to develop around.

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Zach Parise Explains How He Ended Up With The Minnesota Wild

A little over 24 hours after becoming the newest member of the Minnesota Wild, Zach Parise joined NHL's Network's nightly show NHL Live to explain how he ended up deciding to play for the Wild.

"I think it was probably around the late evening of the third into the morning of the fourth that we decided it would be the best fit for us and we couldn't be happier," Parise responded.

After free agency officially opened on July 1 at noon, Parise was bombarded with offers from a reported 20 teams, all of which offered him tens of millions of dollars to come to their city.

Despite leading the New Jersey Devils to Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, Parise decided he wanted to come to Minnesota to be close to his family and friends.

This decision, however, left him with a difficult phone call to make to Devils general manager and president, Lou Lamoriello who drafted Parise with the No. 17 overall selection in the 2003 NHL Entry Draft.

"Lou, no question," Parise said when asked about the hardest part of the decision. "We had been talking throughout the whole process, Lou and I had. Everyday we were talking and I was giving him updates and keeping in touch. It was a very hard call just because of what that organization had done for me."

In addition to Parise, the Wild also managed to sign the best defensive option on the open market in Ryan Suter, which left many surprised.

However, Parise explained that the two had been discussing the concept for quite some time.

"It was something we had definitely talked about throughout the season, just the idea of getting the chance to play together would be great," he said. "We had talked a little bit through the season [...] as it got closer to July 1 we kept in touch. Luckily the place that we both wanted to play had the room [in their salary cap]."

Now that he has returned home to seemingly finish out his career, Parise will have to deal with all his family members bugging him about getting tickets to games.

"We're gonna be season ticket holders pretty soon so we're gonna have to get some extra ones," he said. "For us to be closer to our family is something we're really looking forward to."

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NHL Free Agency 2012: Justin Falk Agrees To 1-Year, $875,000 Extension With Minnesota Wild

On Thursday afternoon, the Minnesota Wild came to terms on a one-year, one-way contract with restricted free agent Justin Falk worth $875,000. The deal came just in time, as Falk was 15 minutes away from being eligible to file for arbitration.

#mnwild agrees to terms with defenseman Justin Falk on a one-year deal 15 minutes before he could have filed for arbitration

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) July 5, 2012

The 6-foot-5, 215 pound defenseman is known for his agility and toughness.

Over three seasons, Falk has played 72 games with the Wild, reaching a career high of 47 in 2011-12 campaign. Still considered a rookie last season due to the amount of games he has played, the 23-year old ranked sixth in ice-time minutes and eighth in blocked shots amongst all rookies.

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Wild Free Agency 2012: Minnesota Wasn't Banking On Both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, According To Report

The Minnesota Wild's improbable acquisition of both Zach Parise and Ryan Suter surprised the league -- and the Wild.

According to an article from The Pioneer Press, the Wild weren't necessarily expecting to land Parise and Suter. One or the other? Sure. But not both.

From the article:

"I don't think you ever think it's realistic you can land both of them," general manager Chuck Fletcher said. "We felt if we could land a top (defenseman) or a top forward, it would really help our team. I don't think you ever go into it assuming you're going to land both of them....

"These guys were the premier free agents in this class," Fletcher said. "A lot of teams were pursuing them. Until this morning, when I received signed documents, we weren't 100 percent that this was going to happen. We're very fortunate the players made the decision they did."

The signings have been a hot topic around the league and among pundits, who have declared it "stunning" and a "shock," adding that it "rocked the NHL."

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NHL Free Agency: Zach Parise Insisted On Ryan Suter's Identical Contract With Wild

Zach Parise and Ryan Suter are, against all odds, the newest members of the Minnesota Wild. They came as a package deal and they came with identical $98 million contracts.

Not only did they make this decision together; they didn't want one to be valued above the other, via ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun:

… when it appeared the money was tilted more toward Parise's way in negotiations, the former Devils captain made a point of ensuring that both he and Suter would have to make the exact same money if they came as a package deal: hence two identical, $98 million contracts forged from the now-less-deep pockets of Wild owner Craig Leipold.

With this gesture, it's clear that while they're absolutely being paid handsomely to go to Minnesota, these signings aren't purely about the money. These are friends wanting to team up as equals.

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NHL Free Agency: How The Ryan Suter and Zach Parise Contracts Break Down

The smartest thing the Minnesota Wild did today was sign the two biggest free agents they could, Ryan Suter and Zach Parise.

The second smartest thing they did was structure the contracts in a way that reduces the cap hit over the first three seasons of the deal. Here's how their identical deals break down, via ESPN.com's Pierre LeBrun:

Year 1: $2 million base salary + $10 million signing bonus = $12 million
Year 2: $2 million base salary + $10 million signing bonus = $12 million
Year 3: $6 million base + $5 million signing bonus = $11 million
Years 4-8: $9 million base
Year 9: $8 million base
Year 10: $6 million base
Year 11: $2 million base
Years 12-13: $1 million base

The NHL will be looking to eliminate contracts like these extremely front-loaded 13-year deals when it's time to draw up a new collective bargaining agreement.

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NHL Free Agency: Twins' Mauer And Gardenhire Recruited Zach Parise And Ryan Suter For Wild

With Ryan Suter and Zach Parise now members of the Minnesota Wild, the NHL is stunned on the Fourth of July. These two signings represent a huge upset win for Minnesota and it has people asking how in the world they managed to pull it off.

There are obvious reasons, of course, beginning with Parise wanting to go back home and the fact that they were both offered enormous 13-year deals. On Wednesday, though, it came out that they had a little help from the baseball team in town, via James Schmehl of mlive.com:

Prior to Wednesday's game, Twins manager Ron Gardenhire and All-Star catcher Joe Mauer admitted to filming a video intended to lure forward Zach Parise to the Minnesota Wild.
Mauer reportedly made a recruiting video earlier in the week for free-agent defenseman Ryan Suter, too.
…
"It's exciting," Mauer said of the signings. "It's exciting news."

One would think that the $98 million each stand to earn on his deal had more to do with where the NHL's top free agents decided to play than any recruiting video, but it's a nice gesture and it certainly didn't hurt.

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NHL Free Agency: Nashville Unhappy With Ryan Suter Signing

The signings of Ryan Suter and Zach Parise by the Minnesota Wild shocked the hockey world, but it seems as though no one was more shocked than Suter's former team, the Nashville Predators.

David Poile, the Predator general manager, expressed his feelings about the Suter signing to the Nashville Tennessean.

"I think disappointment would not adequately describe the word I would like to choose," Predators general manager David Poile said. "Disappointed and little surprised based on all the conversations we’ve had."

Poile added that Suter told Nasville that he signed with the Wild for "family reasons."

Suter told the Predators they would need to make moves at the trade deadline to keep him, and they did. Poile later spent an entire day at Suter's house when he was trying to get him to re-sign.

The former Predators defenseman had 46 points for the team last season.

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NHL Free Agency: Zach Parise Wanted To Go Back Home

Although Zach Parise got a 13-year, $98 million contract from the Minnesota Wild, money was not the motivation behind the signing. New Jersey Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello told The Newark Star-Ledger that Parise just wanted to go back home.

"We did not get a return call saying the number had to go up. The decision, from what Zach told me, was based upon going home and playing with someone he grew up with. Going home was the real focus. The conversation that he and I had had nothing to do with money or a last offer. It was about his days here with the Devils and some personal comments."

Parise was born in Minneapolis. After seven seasons in New Jersey, he will call Minnesota home once again.

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Vegas Apparently Impressed By Ryan Suter And Zach Parise Signings

NHL Free Agency: Minnesota Wild Agree To 13-Year Contracts For Zach Parise, Ryan Suter, According To Reports

The Minnesota Wild have been in on the Ryan Suter and Zach Parise sweepstakes from the beginning to be sure, but not many have really given them much of a chance to sign either of the two star players since free agency opened. But late Tuesday, reports surfaced that the Wild were trying to make a deal with both players and that a deal wasn't just possible, it seemed like it could be likely.

Well, it looks like it was more likely than one may have thought. First, Michael Russo of the Star Tribune reported that the Wild agreed to terms on a 13-year contract with Suter after some strong maneuvering on Tuesday to really put themselves in place. The report also stated that the Wild were talking to Parise at the same time about a 13-year deal and that they were trying to close both deals as soon as possible.

Russo followed up with a Tweet confirming that the Wild are going to be a force to be reckoned with in 2012-13:

#mnwild has agreed to terms on Zach Parise to 13-year deal; Now it's official. Maybe they'll announce Winter Classic today for trifecta. ha

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) July 4, 2012

Suter and Parise are the top two free agents this year and it's a huge get for the Wild to have them both come in. Minnesota wasn't really deep in the discussions until Tuesday, so it's miraculous that they were able to come in and get a deal done. Suter and Parise have noted that they've been talking to one another throughout this whole process, and have also noted that they would like to play on the same team going forward.

It wasn't a certainty that Parise and Suter were holding out for a team that had the resources and was willing to sign the both of them, but perhaps that's what tipped the scales for the Wild. You have Suter and Parise saying they'd like to play with one another earlier on Tuesady, then you have the Wild getting seriously involved late Tuesday, and two blockbuster deals done Wednesday. Sure looks like they're related.

Minnesota was at the top of the NHL standings last season earlier on in the season. They made some drastic changes in bringing in Devin Setoguchi and Dany Heatley, while moving Brent Burns to the San Jose Sharks, and it paid off initially. But they were quickly handed a losing streak and fell behind, eventually missing the playoffs. One has to think that Suter and Parise saw the potential in that early run and the Wild are now poised to be a big threat next season.

Minnesota Wild Free Agency 2012: Zach Parise, Ryan Suter Reportedly Likely To Sign Wednesday

Just getting one of Ryan Suter or Zach Parise would be a huge coup for the Minnesota Wild, but they've been going for both. It's been a tense few days as teams have been trying to woo the two superstar free agents, including the Wild, but it's looked several times like they've actually gotten farther away from a decision than closer to it.

They might give us a bit of holiday cheer though, as agents seem to be indicating that both star free agents could be signing today:

Client Ryan Suter plans on making a decision today.

—PAUL OSTBY (@SHEEHYHOCKEY) July 4, 2012

Just heard from Wade Arnott, agent for Zach Parise: "Likely a decision today."

— Helene St. James (@HeleneStJames) July 4, 2012

Of course, nothing is set in stone and the words 'plans' and 'likely' aren't the same as saying '100% sure' but it's a step in the right direction to get free agency rolling again with the top two guys off the market finally.

Again, you can feel free to insert your favorite 'free agent fireworks' pun here.

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Minnesota Wild Free Agency 2012: Zach Parise Talks FA Process In Josh Rimer Interview

All eyes have been on Zach Parise so far in NHL free agency and there are a lot of potential signings that are waiting for him to finish his search for a new team.

Josh Rimer of NextSportStar.com got an exclusive interview with Parise on Tuesday and posted the video to Youtube, and it contains plenty of interesting tidbits about his search for a new team and how the free agency process has gone so far.

Some of the more interesting parts and things that Parise says are at the following timestamps:

3:52: Says he will not disclose information on what teams have approached him, but he does say that he has told some teams 'no'.

4:24: Says he has been speaking to the Devils often and is happy that Marty Brodeur and others are getting re-signed.

5:30: Says that he does not plan to have any more face to face interviews with teams.

7:18: Says he is keeping in touch with Ryan Suter and may like to play on the same team. (This is what the Minnesota Wild have been reportedly offering the two free agent stars.)

9:32: Talks about the prospects of coming to play in Minnesota.

One more thing to note about the video is that Parise said he would be spending the July 4 holiday with his family, so perhaps expecting a signing today will be asking too much. (Insert 'he could cause free agency fireworks' pun here.)

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Minnesota Wild Free Agency 2012: Wild Pushing To Get Both Zach Parise, Ryan Suter On Team

It was considered a huge upset for NHL Free Agency to bring either Ryan Suter or Zach Parise to the Minnesota Wild with so many other big teams in contention for them.

Well how about both at once? That seems to be what the plan is that the Wild are trying to pitch to the two stars. According to the Minnesota Star Tribune, the Wild are offering huge contracts to both of them, and the total could end up being over $180 million between the two:

Competing for two of the most coveted free agents in NHL history against some of the league's powerhouse teams, three members of the Wild brass flew to Madison, Wis., on Tuesday to sit down with Ryan Suter.

The crux of the pitch: The defenseman should come to Minnesota as part of a tag-team with friend and fellow hotly contested-for free agent Zach Parise.

The Wild has made gargantuan long-term contract offers to both players. Exact figures haven't emerged, but teams interested in Parise are believed to be offering contracts worth $100 million and more, and Suter more than $80 million.

Certainly, getting even one of them would present a superb spark to the Wild after several mediocre seasons in a row. Getting both? Well the Star Tribune article said it would be the 'upset of the century' for a reason.

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Minnesota Wild Free Agency 2012: Parise, Suter Remain Undecided On Free Agent Offers

The Minnesota Wild remain in the running for two prized free agents but must wait at least another day for their decision. Free agent left winger Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter are in high demand and expect to sign long-term, high-dollar contracts for their services.

The Minnesota Wild remain in the running for both players despite the wait, according to Michael Russo.

No decision tonight from Zach Parise or Ryan Suter. But I can assure you, the #mnwild is still very much in this ballgame for both players

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) July 4, 2012

After the free agent signing period opened up on Sunday, the Wild jumped into the fray to attract both Parise and Suter and their efforts thus far have worked with both players reportedly listing the Wild among their three finalists. Both players are 27-years old and heading into their eighth year in the NHL.

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Zach Parise Free Agency: Decision Is Based On More Than Money

On Tuesday afternoon, superstar free agent Zach Parise landed in Minnesota in order to meet with his family to discuss the multiple offers that several teams have presented him in order to try and entice him to seemingly finish his career in their city.

When met by Star Tribune reporter Michael Russo, Parise made it clear that the decision is far more difficult than he ever could have imagined and stated that there are many issues that go with this kind of decision that people don't realize.

Most importantly, he wanted to make sure to mention that money is not the only deciding factor. It is expected that the Minnesota Wild have put forth the most money in order to bring Parise home for good.

Parise has no timetable, says is "so much more than the money. That plays a very small part in it." #MNWild

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) July 3, 2012

Parise has mentioned that he needs to speak with his fiance about the offers prior to accepting one. He also stated that being in Minnesota had no impact on his decision.

For folks that think he wouldn't fly back to Minnesota to announce he's leaving, he laughed: "this is where I live."

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) July 3, 2012

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Zach Parise Free Agency: Decision Will 'Probably' Come Tuesday

As of Tuesday morning, the entire hockey world is at a standstill waiting for free agent superstars Zach Parise and Ryan Suter to determine where they seemingly wish to play the rest of their careers as each player has massive contract offers that will lock them up for well over a decade.

With several teams interested in his services, Parise plans to look over his options and is expected to come to a decision later on Tuesday.

Zach Parise's camp says decision will "probably [be] later today" #mnwild #nhl #penguins #devils #redwings #blackhawks #flyers #anyoneelse

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) July 3, 2012

In addition to that report, ESPN's Pierre LeBrun ran a report that echoed the same sentiment.

Parise was slated to fly back to his native Minnesota on Tuesday, and it wasn't clear when he'd have a decision made, although a source close to him thought sometime Tuesday was a probability.

The Minnesota Wild are assumed to have put together the largest package for Parise in an attempt to bring him home for good. As of Monday night, reports had the team still in the running for his services.

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Zach Parise Free Agency: Forward Needs More Time, But Wild Still Alive

When free agency opened on Monday at noon, it was clear that Zach Parise was going to be flooded with offers from a healthy amount of teams. By the late evening, Parise and his representation made it known that a decision was unlikely to be made on the first day but that one was likely going to come on Tuesday.

Now, the decision has no timetable to be made.

According to TSN reporter Mark Masters, Parise is refusing to place a deadline on this decision and that none of the team's involved are pressuring him to rush to one. He hopes to reach an agreement with one of his suitors in the near future and will be flying home from Toronto to discuss the options with his fiance.

Parise on taking his time: 'It's such a long-term, important decision, you have to make sure you look at everything'

— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) July 2, 2012

Parise also noted that the New Jersey Devils' financial situation will not be a problem and will not factor in his decision. In addition, he has yet to eliminate any of the interested teams (or at least let it be known that he has).

Via the Star Tribune:

"We have thoroughly deliberated every option with Zach," agent Wade Arnott emailed me. "He wishes to take some time to step back and review all with his fiance and his family. We could be drawing closer to a decision."

The Minnesota Wild made it clear coming into this process that the organization was going to throw the most money at Parise in an effort to try and bring him home.

Despite rumors that he has narrowed his decision to the Chicago Blackhawks or Pittsburgh Penguins, it seems as though the Wild still have a shot at landing the forward.

I have been ensured my multiple folks that the #mnwild is very much still in this Parise ballgame

— Michael Russo (@Russostrib) July 2, 2012

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Minnesota Wild Free Agency: Mike Lundin Signs With Ottawa

The Minnesota Wild lost another free agent Sunday evening when Matt Lundin, a 27-year old defenseman, joined Guillaume Latendresse in leaving the club to join the Ottawa Senators. Lundin also signed a one-year deal to head north of the border after notching two assists in 17 games last season.

The terms of the contract were not disclosed aside from it being a one-year deal:

Lundin missed the first 23 games of the season with a back injury and final 25 contests with a lower body injury. He also played two games with the American Hockey League's Houston Aeros.

Lundin spent the previous four National Hockey League seasons with the Tampa Bay Lightning, recording four goals and 29 assists in 224 games. He played 18 playoff games for the Lightning during the 2010-11 season, recording two assists.

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Minnesota Wild Free Agency: Guillaume Latendresse Signs With Ottawa

As expected, 25-year old left wing Guillaume Latendresse will be leaving the Minnesota Wild in free agency. Sunday evening it was announced that Latendresse had signed a one-year deal with the Ottawa Senators for just over $1 million:

The oft-injured forward signed a $1.25 million, one-year deal after becoming a free agent Sunday. Latendresse played 27 games combined over the past two seasons with the Minnesota Wild, scoring eight goals and 15 points.

Last season was a rough one for the left-winger, as he missed a total of 50 games due to a concussion. He does have 81 career goals in just over 300 career games, showing he can be an effective scorer when healthy.

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2012 NHL Free Agency: Minnesota Wild Reportedly On Zach Parise's "Small, Select List"

The first day of the NHL's free agency period began on Sunday, as eager teams across the league wasted no time sending out offers out to prospective players. And after already extending a contract to New Jersey forward Zach Parise, easily one of the biggest prizes in the 2012 free agent class, the Minnesota Wild appear to have cleared the first hurdle, and are in the running according to a report the Pioneer Press' Ben Goessling.

Minnesota confirmed its interest in Parise via Twitter earlier in the day, and looks to be competing with teams like Detroit, Pittsburgh and New Jersey for the talented winger's services. Parise's agent revealed that his client is on a "small, select list", and that he plans to make his final decision tomorrow.

The 27-year-old forward recorded 31 goals in 2011-12 to mark his fifth career 30+ goal season, in addition to playing a career-high 21:29 minutes of ice time per contest. A Minnesota native who also played two years of college hockey at North Dakota, Wild general manager Chuck Fletcher is desperately hoping that Parise will opt to return to the great state of Minnesota to further his hockey career.

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2012 NHL Free Agency: Minnesota Signs Forwards Zenon Konopka And Torrey Mitchell To Multi-Year Deals

The Minnesota Wild's front office was quite busy on Sunday afternoon as free agency surged on, as the team signed a pair of forwards, Zenon Konopka and Torrey Mitchell, to multi-year contracts.

Minnesota also utilized Sunday afternoon to submit offers to highly-touted free agents Zach Parise (New Jersey) and Ryan Suter (Nashville), but made the move to add the two forwards for a respectable price tag according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune's Michael Russo:

The 31-year-old Konopka has been one of the most penalized players in hockey during his tenure, and led the NHL in penalty minutes during the 2009-10 and 2010-11 seasons. Mitchell, formerly a fourth round selection by the San Jose Sharks in 2004, has tallied 73 points in 280 games as mostly a fourth-line player in his career.

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Minnesota Wild Sign Zenon Konopka and Torrey Mitchell

The Minnesota Wild started the day by submitting their offers to free agent studs Zach Parise and Ryan Suter. Knowing that both players will take the time to ponder their futures, and may not make a decision for a couple days, the team then went about addressing other concerns in the organization. The Wild have singed center Zenon Konopka from the Ottawa Senators and Torrey Mitchell from the San Jose Sharks.

Konopka gets a two year deal, with a cap hit of $925K. A lock for the fourth line center position, Konopka is a hard nosed, enforcer type player that also has a strong ability in the faceoff circle. He is not going to add to the offense, but he will serve to shut down the opposition's top lines, and will be sure to protect the heads of Mikko Koivu and Dany Heatley. The Star Tribune's Mike Russo tweeted this quote from Konopka shortly after the signing:

Konopka tells me if Koivu & Heatley want to sit down and read the paper at center ice, they should be able to w/o anyone touching em #mnwild

That quote has already cemented Konopka's status with the fans, you can count on that.

Mitchell gets himself a 3 year deal with a cap hit of $1.9 million. If Wild fans don't know who he is, he is the player that was tangled with Kurtis Foster when Foster broke his leg a few years back. Mitchell will likely slot in on the third line, along side Kyle Brodziak. The speed Mitchell brings to the team will be welcome, and he should fit well into Mike Yeo's hard forechecking system.

The Wild are not done in free agency, but the moves they have made thus far are certainly moves that address concerns. The fourth line last season was made up of AHL level players, and that just cannot happen. These moves also signal that players like Brett Bulmer and Johan Larsson will be allowed to develop properly in Houston, something that should be very welcome to Wild fans.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, head over to Hockey Wilderness. Check out SBNation's NHL page to stay up-to-date with offseason happenings, news and analysis.

2012 NHL Free Agency: Minnesota Offers Contracts To Targets Zach Parise And Ryan Suter

The Minnesota Wild extended offers to 2012 free agent targets Zach Parise and Ryan Suter on Sunday, in hopes of luring the two highly-touted talents to further their careers in St. Paul, Minnesota.

While the details of both offers are unknown, and a bit ambiguous for that matter considering how coveted these two players are, it's still good to see Minnesota actively pursuing top talent right away this summer. While Parise seems to be the more coveted of the two players around the league, Minnesota could hold a slight edge for the 27-year-old Minnesota-born winger if he opts to return home.

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2012 NHL Free Agency: Minnesota Wild Will Aggressively Pursue Zach Parise, Ryan Suter

The Minnesota Wild will get to work quickly when free agency opens at 11 a.m. CT Sunday as they try to convince Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, perhaps the two best players on the market, to play in the Twin Cities, says Michael Russo of the Star-Tribune.

It's quite possible that Wild owner Craig Leipold and even General Manager Chuck Fletcher and coach Mike Yeo could meet with Parise in person Sunday at his agent's office in Mississauga, Ontario, Russo says.

Parise will likely have half of the NHL's 30 teams seeking his services, but the Wild's sales pitch will center around the ability to play close to friends and family and to lead an up-and-coming nucleus to the most successful period in franchise history.

Minnesota are not the only NHL franchise with plenty of cap room, but they will have to overpay to get Parise, perhaps in the $9 to $10 million per year range, according to Russo.

If the Wild miss out on Parise, they'll turn their attention for defenseman Ryan Suter, who could command upwards of $7 million per year. Forwards Shane Doan, Dustin Penner or Peter Mueller also are possibilities if Parise signs elsewhere, as the Wild are looking to improve the second and third forward lines.

For more on the Minnesota Wild, head over to Hockey Wilderness. Check out SBNation's NHL page to stay up-to-date with offseason happenings, news and analysis.

Minnesota Wild 2012 Free Agents: Guillaume Latendresse Will Test Market

The Minnesota Wild elected not to extend a qualifying offer to restricted free agent Guillaume Latendresse, and despite the Wild's attempts to sign the forward to an incentive-laden deal, he will hit the open market Sunday at noon, according to the Pioneer Press's Ben Goessling.

Goessling says Latendresse would like to play closer to his four-year-old son in Montreal.

The Wild will be disappointed to lose a goalscoring option, Goessling writes, but with Latendresse's concussion issues and history of showing up to camp out of shape, there was no reason to offer him more than last year's $2.5 million guaranteed deal.

After missing out on University of Wisconsin defenseman Justin Schultz, who agreed to a deal with the Edmonton Oilers Saturday night, Minnesota are expected to be big players in the Zach Parise sweepstakes and likely can offer the forward more money over more years than any other team, Goessling says.

That said, the Wild will have to compete with multiple suitors for the sniper's services.

Hockey Wilderness is the place to be for all Minnesota Wild news and analysis, and head over to SBNation's NHL site to keep up with news, analysis and free agency coverage.

Zach Parise Decided To Become Free Agent, Now It's Nick Bjugstad's Turn To Make A Decision

College and professional hockey mirror each other this week. As the Minnesota Wild attempt to sign the biggest free agent in franchise history with Minneapolis native Zach Parise, the University of Minnesota await Nick Bjugstad's decision on where he will play next year.

Minnesota Wild Free Agency 2012: Chase For Top Free Agents Begins Sunday

The Wild are expected to make their pitches to Zach Parise and Ryan Suter as free agency kicks off.

NHL Free Agency: Matt Kassian Re-Signs With Wild

On Thursday night, the Minnesota Wild announced that the club had come to terms on a two-year, $1.15 million contract extension with energy guy Matt Kassian. The contract, which has not yet been signed, will be the first one-way contract of Kassian's career and will pay the six-foot-five, 252-pound tough guy $550,000 the first year and $600,000 in the second year.

This new deal appears to cement a spot on the team's roster next season for Kassian as he would have to go through re-entry waivers with the one-way contract if Minnesota wished to call him up from the minors.

The 25-year old registered two goals and 55 penalty minutes in 24 games with the Wild last season. He lead the team with seven fighting majors, which accounted for 64% of his penalty minutes.

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NHL Free Agency: Wild Qualify Offers To 8 Restricted Free Agents

On Monday afternoon, the deadline to extend qualifying offers to restricted free agents passed at 5 p.m., ET, and the Minnesota Wild retained the rights to seven of their pending RFAs including Chay Genoway, David McIntyre, Justin Falk, Nick Palmieri, Jarod Palmer, Carson McMillan, Cody Almond and Dennis Endras.

By extending a qualifying offer, NHL teams are able to retain the rights to restricted free agents so that when free agency begins on July 1, the club has exclusive negotiation rights with the player. If another team wants to sign the player, they must submit an offer sheet, which allows the club to match the proposed offer or be compensated in draft picks if they decide not to.

The team decided not to extend qualifying offers to Kris Fredheim, Nick Johnson and Guillaume Latendresse and all three players will become unrestricted free agents unless they come to a new deal with the Wild prior to July 1.

According to a report by Michael Russo of the Star Tribune, the Wild hope to extend Latendresse with a one-year, bonus laden contract prior to the market opening on Sunday.

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NHL Free Agency: Wild Face Tough Task Trying To Lure Zach Parise Or Ryan Suter To Minnesota

The Minnesota Wild want to lure Zach Parise and Ryan Suter, but they've got a tough time ahead of them with teams like the Red Wings and Penguins also seeking their services.