Zach Parise Injury: Updates on Wild Star's Back and Return

The Minnesota Wild's hopes of a deep playoff run took a significant hit when star forward Zach Parise went on the shelf with a herniated disc. The Wild were eliminated April 24, losing their first-round series to the Dallas Stars.

Continue for updates.

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Parise Won't Require Surgery

Saturday, May 7

Parise said he won't need surgery on his back and talked about his overall progress, per Sid Hartman of the Star Tribune:

"

I mean the doctors are really happy with the progress I’ve made so far, and they’re not worried about it dragging into next season or being a continual problem. You never know, because things can happen, but I’m hoping that after some rehab I’ll be in the clear and not have to worry about it anymore.

We decided not to do the surgery, and the doctors said that with how well I’ve been progressing — at the beginning they said that they would do it and after a while they said that the progress was going so well that they didn’t think I would need it anymore. That was a good sign.

"

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Parise Comments on Injury

Wednesday, April 27

"It's a back injury. Rehab is going really well," Parise told reporters. "I feel good now. I've got to continue doing ... rehab for a little bit."

"It's been really scary," Parise said. "It was a little eye-opening. I'm not worried about the start of next year."

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Parise's Injury Delivered Huge Blow to Wild's Chances

Multiple Wild players discussed the importance of having Parise in the lineup, including goalie Devan Dubnyk, per Russo:

"

This is an extraordinary loss for us. The only way to look at it is, like any time, it's going to be an opportunity for somebody else to step up and play a huge role, and play a role in winning the series. 

But you're just not replacing Zach. Somebody like that, when he's in the lineup, he's awesome, and when he's not, you certainly feel it. It's sports. That's the way it is.

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Parise led the team with 25 goals during the regular season and was second in points with 53. The Minneapolis native also has 89 career playoff games to his credit, and his experience on the big stage was sorely missed.

With Parise out, it put a major dent in Minnesota's chances of upsetting the Stars.

Dallas was the NHL's highest-scoring team by a significant margin during the regular season. Parise was one of the team's leaders, and his absence coupled with Minnesota's recent slide created a recipe for a quick exit.

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