When Zach Parise chose to sign with the Minnesota Wild in July 2012, it was an exciting time to be a Minnesota Wild fan. The hometown boy was coming back to the state of hockey to help bring a cup to the frequently let down fanbase. The goal-scoring forward had consistently put the puck in the net in previous years, breaking the thirty-goal benchmark in five of his previous seven seasons.
Fast forward nine years and the now 35 year old veteran has eclipsed 30 goals only once, with four full remaining seasons at a cap hit of $7,538,461 AAV.