Wild adds Parise, Suter as free agents

Parise, Suter go to Minnesota

So much for teams being practical and cost-efficient in the NHL. If you want a quality free agent, you are going to have to overpay in hockey.

That's what Minnesota did on Wednesday as they landed two of the top players available in free agency in the NHL by acquiring  forward Zach Parise and defenseman Ryan Suter.

Both deals are reportedly worth close to $100 million and for 13 years.
 
These two standouts were regarded as the cream of what was a thin free-agent crop, and each had spent the past four days poring over numerous offers from several teams before making a decision.

Parise leaves the New Jersey Devils, while Suter leaves the Nashville Predators in joining forces to take their talents far to Minnesota.

Parise, who is from Minneapolis,  recruited his good friend Suter to join him in Minnesota.

Parise was the best forward on the market. He scored 31 goals and had 69 points last season in his first year as the Devils' captain. He also chipped in with 15 points in helping the team's surprise run to the Stanley Cup finals, which ended in a six-game series loss to Los Angeles.

Drafted 17th overall by New Jersey in 2003, the 27-year-old has 194 goals and 216 assists in 503 career games. He scored 30-plus goals five times.

Suter, also 27, was the top defenseman available this summer. He spent all seven of his NHL seasons with the Predators after being selected with the seventh pick in the 2003 draft. The All-Star defenseman had career highs in points last year, with seven goals and 39 assists.