ST. PAUL — Minnesota Wild left wing Zach Parise will miss at least two more months after having surgery on his lower back.

The Wild announced on Tuesday that Parise underwent a microdiskectomy, a procedure designed to repair a herniated disk and alleviate corresponding pain and weakness in nearby parts of the body. Parise said earlier this month the injury he was dealing with was not to his back, but he declined to specify his issue.

“He’s been in a lot of pain,” Minnesota general manager Chuck Fletcher said. “I give him credit. He did what he could to avoid surgery, and rehab and get back and play. But at the end of the day, I think what happened today will allow him to feel better quicker and also give him a real good chance to get back on the ice.”

The operation was performed by Dr. Kevin Mullaney at the Tria Orthopedic Center in Bloomington, a Twin Cities suburb, and the Wild said Parise is expected to return to play in eight to 10 weeks.

Fletcher said Parise will only rest for two weeks and progress to riding a bike. If all goes well, Parise could begin skating within six weeks.

“I’ll let all the doctors handle it, but I’m glad he made a decision,” coach Bruce Boudreau said.

Parise has not appeared in a game yet this season, having experienced trouble right before training camp began. He practiced with the team on occasion, but he had another setback on the ice on Oct. 16 and had to leave the workout early.

“He’s obviously a great player. The stuff he brings on the ice goes without saying,” forward Jason Zucker said. “He’s also a great leader. He’s a great guy to have around the room. We obviously miss having him.”

The 33-year-old Parise, who is in the sixth season of a 13-year, $98 million contract with the Wild, initially injured his back during the 2015-16 season and was unable to join the team in their first round loss to Dallas in the playoffs that spring.