Wild owner Craig Leipold on Ryan Suter-Zach Parise signings: I'd do it again

Their reign ended unceremoniously and without a Stanley Cup or even a long playoff run.

But the Zach Parise and Ryan Suter era of Wild hockey wasn't a failure to owner Craig Leipold.

"It totally changed our franchise," Leipold said. "We went from not selling any tickets and having a future that looked bleak to overnight being a sellout team for the next five, six years. Now on the ice, did we get to the level that we want? No, we didn't.

"But as I've told all of our employees and anybody that will listen: Would I do it over again? In an absolute second. They were huge for our franchise. They lifted us up. I would absolutely do it again. Swinging for the fences, no problem."

The Parise and Suter chapter wrapped early after the two were bought out in July with four seasons to go on their mammoth 13-year, $98 million contracts signed back in 2012.

That outcome, which Leipold described as a process, was deliberated for two months before the team announced the exits. Leipold challenged general manager Bill Guerin "many times" — banter that sold Leipold on the decision. And he hasn't regretted it.

"It was the right move for the locker room, the right move for our young players," said Leipold, who spoke Wednesday night from his suite at Xcel Energy Center during the Wild's preseason game against the Blues. "It was the right move for us to kind of move forward and, frankly, Ryan and Zach, I don't think they're unhappy where they are, and I think things are gonna work out fine for them."

Parise and Suter have found new teams, with Parise joining the New York Islanders and Suter landing in Dallas. But the implications of their departures will linger, as the cost of their buyouts will start to eat up more of the Wild's cap space in upcoming seasons.

Leipold said the salary cap, which currently tops out at $81.5 million, will grow next season and the Wild will spend to the ceiling. After this season, the team has players like Kevin Fiala and Jordan Greenway up for new contracts, and Leipold said the Wild plans to re-sign them.

This past summer, though, the team was focused on bringing back Kirill Kaprizov, completed with a five-year, $45 million deal that didn't get done until the day before training camp opened last month after both sides met in Florida.

"I knew we were going to sign him," said Leipold, who described the Wild as Guerin's team. "There was just no doubt. They were stringing it out as long as they could in hopes that Billy would add something to it, and he never did, and he went down, they had a kumbaya moment and all hugged and flew back on a private jet."

While Leipold feels the Wild is a playoff team, he also pegs the teams to improve in the years to come.

Not only does he see Kaprizov being with the team beyond his current contract, but he envisions the team's youth peaking in ensuing seasons.

"The next five years, maybe six, our window is open," Leipold said, "and we're gonna get better and better and better because we've got really good young players and we really feel like they're going to be a big part of our future."

Audition time

A youthful Wild lineup overcame a three-goal hole and rallied for a 4-3 overtime win against St. Louis in what could have been the final opportunity for roster hopefuls to make their case.

The team is expected to rely on a more veteran look for its last two preseason games, starting Thursday against Chicago in St. Paul.

Adam Beckman scored 2 minutes, 19 seconds into overtime to complete a Gordie Howe hat trick after assisting on Nico Sturm's game-tying goal at 19:45 of the third period and fighting the Blues' Nathan Walker in the first.

"[Dmitry Kulikov] made a great play leaving it for me, and I just kind of threw it on net," said Beckman, who has four goals in three preseason games. "So, it was kind of a gift for me and it's a great play by him and [Marco Rossi]."

Beckman, one of the prospects vying for a spot, was bloodied from the fight and left the game before returning in the second. He received a couple of stitches on his nose.

"He got hit hard," coach Dean Evason said. "His response was fantastic. Just kept playing."

All three St. Louis goals (Mackenzie MacEachern at 2:04; Walker at 4:30 and Robert Bortuzzo at 5:19) came on four shots in the first period. Victor Rask started the comeback on the power play 7:11 into the second before Brandon Duhaime scored with 3:53 left in the third. Kaapo Kahkonen made 17 saves.

New face

Guerin felt the Wild brought in "a good young player" by claiming forward Rem Pitlick off waivers Tuesday from Nashville, an addition that Guerin also believes bolsters the team's depth.

The former Gopher could appear in the team's final preseason game Saturday at Chicago.

"He's the type of guy that we value," Guerin said. "He's highly skilled. He can score. He's got a great shot."