The Minneosta Wild are back on the map. The franchise, which hasn't made the NHL playoffs since the 2007-2008 season, have improbably reeled in the two biggest free agents of the offseason. Zach Parise and Ryan Suter have reportedly agreed to sign identical 13-year, $98 million contracts with Minnesota, spurning traditional powers like the Detroit Red Wings, Pittsburgh Penguins and New Jersey Devils.
The duo also jilted the Chicago Blackhawks, who were reportedly in the running for the two's services. How close Chicago actually was will likely be revealed sometime in the near future. Both Parise and Suter are 27-years-old and entered the NHL in 2003. Parise has spent his entire career with the Devils, while Suter has spent his entire career with the Nashville Predators.
For updates, stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago. For more in-depth coverage on the Blackhawks' offseason, head over to Blackhawks blog Second City Hockey. And for more news and notes from around hockey, visit SB Nation's NHL news hub.