Juuso Parssinen already facing complicated path to Rangers opportunities
Juuso Parssinen was one of the first restricted free agents the Rangers took care of this summer, with the 24-year-old signing a two-year contract extension just over two weeks after their 2024-25 season ended.Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.
Coming off a campaign spent with three teams due to two trades, Parssinen came into Rangers training camp with a prime opportunity to snatch the third-line center role.The emergence of rookie Noah Laba, however, relegated Parssinen to street clothes through the first two 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 basis, 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.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 assist on Raddysh’s 6-1 score in the third period.He also posted one blocked shot and two hits in 9:24 of ice time.The only player 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 placed on injured reserve Sunday morning.Parssinen’s stint was ultimately short lived.“Yeah, that’s how it is sometimes,” he said of getting scratched.
“Just tried to stay positive, work on my...