The Decision(s)

The two biggest free agents coming out of the 2011-12 season shocked and stunned fans around the NHL by leaving the franchises they started with for a colossal combined contract worth over $196 million and covers 26 years.  Independence Day, indeed!

Former New Jersey Devils forward Zach Parise and Nashville Predators defenseman Ryan Suter chose to be teammates on the Minnesota Wild, making the biggest impact in the franchise's history since the club was created in the league expansion of 2000-01 (which filled the void of the North Stars team which was relocated to Dallas in 1993).  Both players had interest beyond their previous teams, and Minnesota was not expected to be the favorite for either of them - let alone get them both.

Their identical contracts look like this:

• Year 1: $2 million base salary + $10 million signing bonus = $12 million

• Year 2: $2 million base salary + $10 million signing bonus = $12 million

• Year 3: $6 million base + $5 million signing bonus = $11 million

• Years 4-8: $9 million base

• Year 9: $8 million base

• Year 10: $6 million base

• Year 11: $2 million base

• Years 12-13: $1 million base

Unlike previous CBA-busting agreements by Chris Pronger and Ilya Kovalchuk, this one won't rankle the league officials, but is likely the last of it's type as the collective bargaining agreement is expiring.  It comes on the heels of 10-year contracts for Jordan Staal and Jonathan Quick, and a 12-year extension for Sidney Crosby, all three also considered lynch pins for their organizations on the coming years.  While other teams offered competitive terms in both money and years, both players determined they could get fat contracts for the length of their careers, and more importantly, play together while defining an era for their new team.  Parise also gets to go home and play in his hometown.

Obviously, there's a lot of teams disappointed - Detroit had a Lidstom-sized hole to fill with Suter and would have loved to add Parise to their top six, and Pittsburgh carved out a big block of cap space looking for some pieces to return them to the Cup finals, but none more than New Jersey, who lost their captain and arguably biggest star, and Nashville, who locked in goalie Pekka Rinne to a long term deal last year in the hopes of anchoring their top players to the organization, but now gave up a key D-man and may lose captain Shea Weber to free agency next year.

And the Wild? They have not won a round of the playoffs since 2003, and missed them altogether for the last four years, but this is a big enough step to make them legitimate contenders for the post-season and a new destination for players and new talent.