Paul Mara signed an AHL deal with Minnesota's minor-league affiliate in Houston on Monday. The Wild enter training camp with some holes to fill on the blueline, so Mara could find a spot. However, for that to happen the team would have to trade a contract elsewhere as Nick Palmieri's eventual deal is expected to bring them to the limit of 50. Mara didn't play at all in 2011-12 and he had been playing with ECHL's Ontario Reign during the work stoppage.

Paul Mara signed with the ECHL's Ontario Reign. The 33-year-old journeyman is a veteran of 13 seasons in the NHL, though he didn't play last season. The defenseman collected 64 goals and 189 assists in 734 games, most recently split the 2010-11 season with the Ducks and Canadiens.

According to a source, Paul Mara has been contacted by the New York Rangers about attending training camp on a tryout. Mara appeared in 53 games with the Anaheim Ducks and Montreal Canadiens last season before becoming an unrestricted free agent this past summer. He earned six points, 88 penalty minutes and a plus-1 rating in 2010-11.