Juuso Parsinen was among the first restricted free agents the Rangers addressed this summer, signing a two-year contract extension shortly after the 2024-25 season wrapped up.
As he arrived at Rangers training camp, there was a promising chance for him to step into the third-line center position. Last season was a whirlwind for him, bouncing between three teams due to two trades.
However, rookie Noah Laba’s quick rise saw Parsinen left out of the lineup for the initial two games.
With Vincent Trocheck dealing with an upper-body injury expected to sideline him for a few weeks, head coach Mike Sullivan decided to include Parsinen in Saturday’s game against Pittsburgh.
Yet on Sunday, for the game against the Capitals, Sullivan opted for Johnny Brodzinski instead.
Brodzinski made his season debut, fitting into the third line alongside Raba and Taylor Radish.
“We’re making decisions based on what we observe and looking for combinations that might work,” Sullivan commented after the 1-0 loss at Madison Square Garden. “The Johnnies had a solid camp, and we’re looking to experiment a bit to find the right mix for our bottom six.”
Parsinen, who played in that line on Saturday, notched a second assist on Radish’s goal during a 6-1 victory in the third period.
He also recorded a blocked shot and delivered two hits in 9 minutes and 24 seconds of ice time.
Only Carson Soucy had less ice time. Soucy was sidelined with an upper-body injury in the second period and placed on injured reserve the following morning.
In the end, Parsinen’s stint was brief.
“Yeah, that kind of thing happens,” he remarked about being scratched. “I just aimed to stay positive, work on improving, and support the teammates who are in the lineup.”
Last season, Parsinen participated in 48 games, capturing six goals and ten assists, and he mentioned he can play both wing or center.
Sullivan decided to keep Zibanejad at center on Sunday, rather than moving Brodzinski to that position in Trocheck’s absence.
After starting two games on the wing, Zibanejad looked comfortable back at center during the Saturday and Sunday matches.
“We experimented with Perth throughout training camp and exhibition games,” Sullivan explained. “Of course, with Mika and JT, [Miller] in mind, we believed there was a chance for a third-line center position that Pulse could potentially fill. We aimed to provide him that opportunity, and he spent considerable time at center in the preseason. With Noah Laba’s arrival, we’ve got another player who could step into that role, plus Pulse is fine playing wing as well.”
“We have players who can shift between center and wing, adding some versatility. We’ll keep assessing and make any needed adjustments along the way.”
