Trading Zach Parise would fully signal rebuild for Minnesota Wild

Wild general manager Paul Fenton has reshaped the roster, but trading Zach Parise would be a signal of something far bigger.

As he watched the roster his predecessor Chuck Fletcher assembled continue to underachieve, Minnesota Wild general manager Paul Fenton traded Nino Niederreiter, Charlie Coyle and Mikael Granlund as last February’s trade deadline approached.

Jason Zucker has also linger in trade rumors, but a bigger, supposedly untouchable name may also be on Fenton’s radar to move. As part of a longer profile piece, Michael Russo of The Athletic (subscription required) revealed Fenton discussed the possibility of trading Zach Parise at the draft in June and has continued to do so in the weeks since.

After an injury-shortened 2017-18 campaign (42 games, 24 points), Parise played 74 games last season and led the Wild in goals (28) and points (61). He also turned 35 on Sunday, so age and durability are concerns going forward.

Then there’s the matter of Parise’s contract.

Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter signed matching 13-year, $98 million contracts with the Wild on July 4, 2012. That leaves six years at $7.53 million average annual value (and cap hit) to go on their deals, in Parise’s case through his age-40 season in 2024-25 with a no-move clause as well.

Parise stated clearly he loves it in Minnesota, and as a Minneapolis native he signed with the Wild on the idea of finishing his career there. But he also acknowledged a certain level of urgency to win at this stage of his career.

"I think I want to win. I want to win here, and I do love everything away from the rink. We’ve got so many friends through the kids away from the rink, away from hockey. It’s so great. It is great, so that’s the hard part,” Parise said, when asked if he’d be willing to accept a trade. “But you get to that point where you want to win. That’s all you want to do. Trust me, we’d all love to win here. I think this place would be absolute insanity if we won here. So that’s the goal. I mean, I just don’t know. Let’s put it this way, they haven’t come to me asking if I want to get traded somewhere."

The Wild would certainly have to retain a large chunk of Parise’s salary for another team to even consider acquiring him. Being willing to take a bad contract back in return, like the Milan Lucic-James Neal deal, might open up some possibilities. If Parise would even waive his no-trade clause.

Trading players like Niederreiter, Granlund, Coyle or even eventually Zucker is one thing, and frankly necessary as the Wild try to get younger. But if Parise were to be moved, the rebuild would officially be on.