Zach Parise to return for Minnesota Wild Tuesday night

After a six-game absence, Zach Parise is slated to return to the ice for the Minnesota Wild on Tuesday night.

Zach Parise suffered a foot injury against the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 27, and the Minnesota Wild have had to do without their best player for the last six games as a result. An increase in practice involvement in recent days pointed toward Parise being able to play again soon, and he’s slated to return Tuesday night on the home ice of Xcel Energy Center against the Calgary Flames.

The Wild went 3-3 without Parise in the lineup, including a 2-1 Eastern road trip for their last three games. That included a 4-2 win over the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins last Thursday night, and the Wild now return home on the high of an overtime win over the Ottawa Senators on Sunday.

Parise has six points (two goals and four assists), with 28 shots on goal and a -2 plus/minus in eight games played this season. Michael Russo of the Minneapolis Star Tribune has reported Parise will play on Minnesota’s third line in his return to action Tuesday night, along with Erik Haula and Jason Pominville, while also taking back a customary spot on Wild’s top power play unit centered by Eric Staal.

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Wild head coach Bruce Boudreau clearly wants to ease Parise back into action after a nearly three-week absence. That makes sense, purely due to the nature of his injury, and Parise may be on a minutes restriction against Calgary. Tuesday night also starts a stretch of seven games in the next 12 days (five at home) for Minnesota.

So making sure Parise is available for that entire stretch, and beyond, without a setback is important beyond a win or loss on Tuesday night.