A shuffle

After the Minnesota Wild signed Stephane Veilleux and Pierre-Marc Bouchard, it seemed like all they had left to do this season was to give Marian Gaborik an attractive contract extension, and the team would be ready to start their season on October 12 against the Boston Bruins.

Well, as we've recently learned, when it seems like there's only one thing left to do, it's probably more reasonable that certain things are being played close to the vest. And that's why, with the new acquisitions and contracts, it was probably only a matter of time before news like Mark Parrish's hit the internet.

For those that haven't heard, Parrish was placed on waivers by the team. Like Veilleux, Parrish was unclaimed by the rest of the league. Unlike Veilleux, the Wild seem to be working on buying out the remainder of the Parrish contract, making him a free agent and allowing him to start somewhere else from scratch.

Honestly, this seems like a bit of a shocking move by the Wild, but it also makes sense. Parrish has been injured a lot in his couple of Minnesota seasons, and he's also been one who's often been flagged by coach Jacques Lemaire as not putting in sufficient effort. By buying out his contract, the Wild are accepting that there was a mistake made in the original numbers, and they're giving him a chance to get a fresh start elsewhere. This will also give the Wild some room to call up prospects and have some cap room left over for emergencies.

It will be sad to see Parrish go, but, quite honestly, he wasn't able to contribute for the Wild what his contract required. Here's hoping he gets that fresh start and makes the most of it.