Parise first injured his back at the end of the 2015-16 season during a game against the San Jose Sharks. He missed the entirety of the postseason that year but skated in the World Cup of Hockey for Team USA last fall and played in 69 games for the Wild last season.
"It was frustrating after having what I felt like was a great summer of training and skating. To have something come in a couple weeks before camp, it's not ideal. But, again, that's just where it is right now," Parise said. "All I can do right now is get myself better and keep rehabbing and keep strengthening and go from there."
Boudreau said while he'd love to have Parise back at some point in the preseason, it's certainly not going to happen this weekend when the Wild plays back-to-back games against the Colorado Avalanche.
"In a perfect world, of course we'd like him to play but we don't want him to play until he's ready to play. That's for sure. And none of that is my call," Boudreau said. "As a coach, you're sitting there going, 'OK great, if we get Zach Parise back, I'm a really happy man.' But that's the trainer's call and the doctor's call. We'll make sure it's done right and when he comes back, he'll be ready to play."
Beginning Tuesday, the Wild plays every other day through Sept. 30, the team's final preseason tuneup against the Dallas Stars. The regular season opens the following Thursday, Oct. 5, in Detroit.
"I would love to [play in the preseason], but I don't want to put a timetable on anything. In a perfect world, I would be playing. But we've got to get there first," Parise said. "I'm not going to put a timetable on anything, but I'd love to be playing in the opening game in Detroit."