The Minnesota Wild will open the regular season Thursday night in Detroit without the face of the franchise, Zach Parise.
Wild General Manager Chuck Fletcher announced today that Parise is having a hard time overcoming a back injury, so he’ll stay in Minnesota while the Wild play the Red Wings on Thursday and the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday.
The best case right now would have Parise ready to practice with the team in a week, and perhaps be able to play Oct. 12 at Chicago.
Fletcher: Parise's having a hard time getting to 100% so we'll be pulling back slightly…if all goes well he'd rejoin the team next Monday
— Minnesota Wild (@mnwild) October 2, 2017
Details about Parise’s injured back are scarce, but his trouble with back pain goes back nearly two years now. In January of 2016 he was diagnosed with a herniated disc, which he aggravated by playing through the pain and it ultimately cost him the 2016 playoffs.
It’s unclear if his back pain now is related to his previous injury.
