Wild in Minnesota

So the fourth of July fireworks started early in the hockey state as the Minnesota Wild signed both of the most coveted free agents off the off season in Zack Parise and Ryan Suter. At least the Devils have Martin Brodeur locked up for the next two years...This definitely a big win for the franchise and a message to the rest of the league that they are serious about contending for the next many years. While I don't think this makes them the best in the west or even their division it's hard to argue that they are not much, much better today. Dany Heatley how has had some off years, Miko Koivu who was injured much of the last season and others like Devin Setoguchi and Nicklas Backstrom have talent so to add pieces like this to the mix can only help. Suter and Parise each signed for 13 years and $98 million dollars so safe to say they should be there a while. The fact that they are buddies gives this a Miami Heat feel only, without anyone outside Minnesota really caring, in the US anyway. Detroit was apparently a front runner as well and after the retirement of Nick Lidstrom were certainly looking to add an impact defenceman. Parise leaves a team that just had a run to the cup to be closer to home so I admire that he's considering his life in a larger context with this decision but it will be tough to have success quickly in the ultra competitive western conference. If the new CBA gets signed of course. The Wild have not had a taste of the playoffs in several seasons so the mandate is obviously to end that drought and these moves may very well do that. If nothing else it will give their fan base hope...for now.