The Minnesota Wild can thank Zach Parise for Eric Staal choosing to sign with the club.
The newest member of the Wild agreed to a three-year, $10.5-million deal on July 1, after Parise reached out to Staal suggesting the Wild would be a good fit for him, allowing Staal the opportunity to play center on his wing, he told wild.nhl.com.
Staal noted that prior to Parise signing his monstrous 13-year, $98-million contract ahead of the 2012-13 season, he had reached out to Parise about joining the Carolina Hurricanes.
The 31-year-old is coming off his least productive season since his rookie campaign, registering just 13 goals and 39 points in 83 games split between the Hurricanes and New York Rangers.
Staal will be looking to get back to being a consistent point producer, which an already-blooming chemistry with his future linemate should aid in.
