Buying out Parise and Suter removed “two primary obstacles to locker room harmony”
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 headline signings made by the Wild back in 2012 as the pair of American stars inked identical 13-year, $98,000,000 contracts.
After scoring just 18 points in 45 games in 2021, it wasn’t all too surprising to see the Wild opt to bite the bullet and move on from Parise. But buying out Suter, who logged 22:11 on the team’s blueline last season, was quite the shock.
According to Minnesota Star Tribune columnist Jim Souhan, general manager Bill Guerin’s goal was to remove “the two primary obstacles in 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 migraine headaches.
…
What Guerin did Tuesday was remove the two primary obstacles to locker room harmony. The players on your team don’t have to all love each other, but they can’t be worried about someone running to the owner to complain about playing time.”
Ultimately, the Wild are looking to get younger and to change the dynamic of their team chemistry. While taking on a buyout penalty through the 2028-29 season isn’t ideal, this seems like a move that Guerin had to make.