The acquisition of Parise and Suter has lifted « two main obstacles to the harmony of the locker rooms »
The Minnesota Wild made a shocking decision on Tuesday, buying out the remaining four years of Zach Parise and Ryan Suter’s contracts.
Parise and Suter were two flagship signings made by the Wild in 2012 as the pair of American stars signed identical 13-year, $ 98,000,000 contracts.
After scoring just 18 points in 45 games in 2021, it wasn’t too surprising to see the Wild choose to bite the bullet and pass from Parise. But buying out Suter, who recorded 22:11 on the team’s blue line last season, has come as a shock.
According to Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan, CEO Bill Guerin’s goal was to remove « the two main obstacles to locker room harmony. »
“What happened with Parise and Suter is commonplace in professional team sports.
When they performed like stars, the Diva Duo was tolerated.
When they declined, they became competing migraines.
…
What Guerin did on Tuesday was remove the two main obstacles to locker room harmony. Not all of the players on your team have to love each other, but they can’t worry about someone running over to the owner to complain about playing time.
Ultimately, the Wilds are looking to rejuvenate and change the dynamics of their team’s chemistry. While taking a redemption penalty during the 2028-2029 season isn’t ideal, it seems like a decision Guerin had to make.
