Wild winger Zach Parise out 8-10 weeks after back surgery

After dealing with complications from a back issue, Minnesota Wild winger Zach Parise will be out quite a while longer.

Through their first six games, the Minnesota Wild have had to do without winger Zach Parise amid a myriad of injuries. He has not appeared particularly close to returning to action, and Michael Russo of The Athletic was first to report Parise was considering back surgery as soon as Tuesday.

Now it’s official, as the team announced Parise underwent successful microdisectomy surgery on Tuesday morning and is expected to miss 8-10 weeks.

A herniated disc in his back, which caused numbness and weakness in one of his legs, kept Parise out of the entire 2016 playoffs for the Wild. He made it through last season without being sidelined by further back issues, but persistent pain in one of his legs surfaced just before training camp this year.

Parise’s surgery is apparently considered non-invasive (easy for someone who’s not the patient to say), and removed the part of the disc in his back that is squeezing on the nerve. He can begin skating without shooting pucks or taking contact in four weeks. Four weeks after that, assuming no further setbacks as his activity level ramps back up, Parise could suit up and play.

For further clarity, Russo has offered a specific calendar point where Parise could return to game action.

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Injuries have become a persistent issue for Parise in recent years, as he has missed at total of 48 games over the last four regular seasons. At 33 years old with a high-effort, gritty style of play that puts him in vulnerable spots, those durability concerns are not going away. He’s in the sixth season of the 13-year, $98 million deal he signed with the Wild in 2012, and due to make $9 million in each of the next three seasons.