The New York Rangers have signed forward Juuso Parssinen to a two-year contract worth $1.25 million annually, adding another name to an already congested bottom six forward group that the team aims to upgrade for next season.
This extension raises eyebrows for a couple of reasons: first, the decision to retain a player who appeared in just 11 games for the team, and second, the relatively high cap hit. At nearly double the league minimum, Parssinen’s salary suggests the team expects him to remain in the NHL rather than be sent to the AHL, where only $1.15 million of a contract can be buried. That $100,000 overage may seem minor, but in today’s tight cap environment—where teams like Edmonton, Vegas, and Minnesota finished the season with less than $100,000 in space—it could matter.
Parssinen’s performance during his short stint with the Rangers was modest. He averaged under 10 minutes per game and put up five points (2 goals, 3 assists). Advanced stats show mixed results—while his goals for percentage was solid (57.46), both his Corsi and expected goals for percentages were low, at 36.57% and 35.6% respectively. Despite these middling numbers, GM Chris Drury saw enough to commit to keeping him, even though the team has arguably better and cheaper internal options.
With 137 NHL games under his belt, Parssinen has recorded just 20 goals and 53 points. He now joins a group competing for limited ice time, including Sam Carrick ($1M), Jonny Brodzinski ($787K), Matt Rempe ($820K), and Adam Edstrom ($847K). Although Parssinen is less productive, he will earn more than all of them and is most likely to fill a fourth-line role.
Rempe and Edstrom are due for new contracts but will likely come in below Parssinen’s number. Both bring physicality and upside at a lower cost, making them valuable evaluation options. Parssinen, on the other hand, is viewed as a more conventional player who’s bounced between organizations without securing a consistent role.
This signing also adds to the traffic jam potentially blocking promising young forwards like Brett Berard and Brennan Othmann, who struggled to get minutes last season. There’s also Gabe Perreault, a top prospect who ideally needs a top-six role but might find himself stuck on the third line or even in the AHL if spots don’t open up.
It’s possible the Rangers believe Parssinen will flourish under incoming head coach Mike Sullivan, but even so, there are arguably more deserving players in-house—or better external options the team could pursue. The situation is reminiscent of the Will Borgen deal—another premature extension that left fans wondering if resources could’ve been used more effectively elsewhere.
Ultimately, while this move may prove inconsequential, the timing is curious. With no pressure to sign Parssinen immediately and no imminent threat of offer sheets, why rush the deal on May 2? Unless there’s a broader strategy at play, this feels like an unnecessary early decision in what promises to be a critical offseason for the Rangers.
