Minnesota Wild owner Craig Leipold overjoyed with new acquisitions -NHL Free Agency Update
Craig Leipold could have never thought that his team might be moved up to the top teams with the most potential for the upcoming 2012-2013 National Hockey League (NHL) just a few weeks ago as the Minnesota Wild owner made some big moves, alongside general
manager Chuck Fletcher, and came out a winner.
Minnesota was successful in grabbing two of the biggest names of the free agency, New Jersey Devils’ Zach Parise and Nashville Predators’ Ryan Suter, something Craig Leipold is definitely overjoyed about.
As Parise had expressed the desire to stay with New Jersey Devils, after leading them to the Stanley Cup Finals, and Ryan Suter being pursued by Detroit Red Wings to fill in the gap left by Nicklas Backstrom, Minnesota was not too sure of their chances.
"We didn't think we were going to get either one," Leipold said. "We heard Detroit was hot on Suter. All we know is what we're reading. We were hearing we were up against Pittsburgh, Chicago, teams that have won in the last three or four years. These aren't
just your normal run-of-the-mill teams. They're winning right now."
"This is a huge commitment on Craig's part, on our organization's part," Fletcher added. "It took a lot of courage and commitment for all of us to go after these players."
Both players were signed on to a 13-year deal worth a mammoth $98 million, which will have the 27-year-olds secured on the team till they turn 40.
Suter, being known to be one of the best defenseman in the league at the moment, had wanted to change clubs due to his inability to come out of captain Shea Weber’s shadow. The defender can also put up big numbers, seeing his 46 point (7 goals, 39 assists)
tally this past year while Zach Parise had 69 points (31 goals, 38 assists).
The impact of the signings has been seen almost immediately as more than 700 season tickets were sold on Wednesday, something which fans have been waiting for a long time for hockey to be big again in the state which is known to be the ‘State of Hockey’.
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