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Parise hoping to avoid back surgery

Minnesota Wild v Anaheim Ducks

ANAHEIM, CA - DECEMBER 11: Zach Parise #11 of the Minnesota Wild skates against the Anaheim Ducks at Honda Center on December 11, 2013 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

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Zach Parise is hoping he doesn’t need surgery to fix a herniated disc in his back.

“It’s too early to tell, but I’m optimistic that therapy and the rehab is working really well, that we’re going to be able to avoid that,” the Wild forward said, per the Star Tribune.

Parise’s injury caused him to miss the entire first round of the playoffs, no doubt a factor in Minnesota’s six-game loss to Dallas.

But the 31-year-old anticipates he’ll be able to start training sometime in the middle of the summer, and that he’ll be ready for training camp.

“I’m not worried about next year, the start of next year, I’ll be fine,” he said.

Given Parise is signed through 2024-25, with a cap hit of $7.54 million, the Wild will be hoping he’s right, and that this won’t be an ongoing concern.

Parise’s back-diving contract pays him an annual salary of $9 million through 2019-20.