The New York Rangers made somewhat of a surprising move on Tuesday, placing forward Juuso Parssinen on waivers. The news, as insider Elliotte Friedman initially reported, comes following Parssinen’s unceremonious exit from the Rangers’ lineup.
Parssinen joined the Blueshirts last season as part of the trade deadline deal that sent defenseman Ryan Lindgren to the Colorado Avalanche. The 24-year-old looked poised to become a fixture in the Rangers’ bottom six.
However, his two goals and one assist in 14 games this season failed to impress. Parssinen failed to earn a regular spot on Mike Sullivan’s squad. He regularly played around eight minutes a high. He played a season-high 13:35 on October 30 against the Edmonton Oilers.
Unfortunately for the former seventh-round pick, he played 6:48 on November 18 against the Vegas Golden Knights and then 7:59 in his last appearance against the Utah Mammoth.
The Finnish forward has played a total of 151 NHL games, scoring 22 goals and 34 assists for 56 points. He was a draft pick of the Nashville Predators in 2019. Parssinen was part of the trade that sent Ondrej Pavel to Nashville last season.
The Avalanche then shipped Parssinen to the Rangers. He had a relatively regular role under Peter Laviolette. While Parssinen remained a bottom-six player, he saw much more ice time. In 11 games with the Rangers last season, Parssinen produced five points.
At the time of this writing, Parssinen is still pending waivers. If he clears, he’ll head down to the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack.
Noah Laba Made Parssinen Expendable
The hope was that Parssinen could become a solid fourth-line center for the Rangers. Nevertheless, the Blueshirts hoped that Parssinen’s ceiling could be higher than that. But that was not the case.
The emergence of Noah Laba this season made Parssinen expendable. Laba has shown the grit and tenacity needed to thrive in a bottom-six role. Plus, the 22-year-old Laba has shown more offensive upside. He’s notched three goals and six points in 24 games.
On top of that, Sam Carrick has been a valuable piece on the fourth line. While his efforts haven’t always shown up on the scoresheet, Carrick has been the most impressive Rangers player on the ice at times.
As such, the Rangers’ bottom-six center group looks crowded at the moment. That’s why placing Juuso Parssinen, while mildly surprising, should not come as a shock.
Parssinen Could Be Back with Rangers
Assuming Parssinen clears waivers, he could be back with the Rangers at some point this season. Injuries are always an issue. So, the Blueshirts do have use for Parssinen if it does get to that point.
Of course, fans hope that scenario doesn’t come to fruition. But then again, Parssinen could rediscover his game in the AHL. That’s why fans should expect to see the 24-year-old Finn back in the NHL at some point this season.
The Rangers are certainly not giving up on him. That’s the reason why it makes sense to send him down so he can get regular ice time. Playing 15 or 16 minutes a night in the AHL is much better than riding the press box.
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