Juuso Parssinen already facing complicated path to…
Juuso Parssinen was one of the first restricted free brokers the Rangers took care of this summer season, with the 24-year-old signing a two-year contract extension just over two weeks after their 2024-25 season ended.
Coming off a marketing campaign spent with three groups due to two trades, Parssinen got here into Rangers training camp with a prime alternative to snatch the third-line heart function.
The emergence of rookie Noah Laba, however, relegated Parssinen to avenue garments through the first two video games of the season.
In the wake of Vincent Trocheck’s upper-body injury, which is projected to sideline him on a week-to-week foundation, head coach Mike Sullivan at first inserted Parssinen into the lineup Saturday in Pittsburgh.
On Sunday against the Capitals, however, Sullivan opted to go with Jonny Brodzinski instead.
Juuso Parssinen (71) skates with the puck in the third period against the New Jersey Devils at Madison Square Garden, Thursday, Oct. 2, 2025. Corey Sipkin for the NY POST
Brodzinski lined up in his place on the left wing of the third line next to Laba and Taylor Raddysh for his season debut.
“We’re trying to make decisions based on what we see, to put combinations together to see if we can have some success,” Sullivan said after the 1-0 loss at the Garden. “Jonny’s had a pretty solid camp, so we’re trying to move people in and out to give guys an opportunity to see what we have and see if we can find a combination in that bottom six that’s going to work for us.”
While skating in that spot Saturday, Parssinen earned the secondary help on Raddysh’s 6-1 rating in the third period.
He also posted one blocked shot and two hits in 9:24 of ice time.
The only participant on the ice to log less time was Carson Soucy, who was knocked out in the second period with an upper-body injury and subsequently positioned on injured reserve Sunday morning.
Parssinen’s stint was finally short lived.
Juuso Parssinen #71 of the New York Rangers on the bench during third period. The New York Rangers defeat the Nashville Predators 4-0. Carlos Toro/New York Post
“Yeah, that’s how it is sometimes,” he said of getting scratched. “Just tried to stay positive, work on myself, do whatever I can to help the other guys who are playing.”
Parssinen, who mixed for six objectives and 10 assists in 48 video games last season, said he can play either wing or heart.
Sullivan still stayed with Mika Zibanejad at heart Sunday to substitute Trocheck instead of using Brodzinski in the center.
After spending the first two video games on the wing, Zibanejad appeared proper at home at the middle place Saturday and Sunday night time.
“We tried Pars throughout the course of the training camp and the exhibition games in the middle,” Sullivan said. “Obviously, if we have been going to play Mika with J.T. [Miller], there was an alternative there for that third-line heart function that we thought Pars might probably fill. We tried to present that alternative for him, and he spent a lot of time at the middle place throughout the exhibition video games. I feel the emergence of Noah Laba has added just another participant in the combo that probably we might go to to fulfill that function, and we all know Pars is comfy enjoying the wing also.
“We have some versatility there with guys that can play center and play the wing. And we’ll continue to watch and see what we have, and if we have to make adjustments along the way, we will.”
Stay up to date with the latest trending topics! Visit our web site daily for the freshest Sports news and content, fastidiously curated to keep you informed.