The New York Rangers' roster is changing once again, and a player Chris Drury acquired at last year's deadline and rewarded with a two-year contract extension could find himself in Hartford if he's not claimed by another organization. The player in question always felt like the player most likely to be moved off the roster if the need for a roster spot came up, and the time has come a little sooner than the front office would have expected.
Juuso Parssinen has been placed on waivers
The #NYR have placed Juuso Pärssinen on waivers.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) November 25, 2025
The Rangers added Parssinen to their ranks at the trade deadline, and he became yet another bottom-six option in what was already quite a crowded mix. He appeared in just 11 games for the Rangers before earning his two-year extension with a cap hit of $1.25 million, $100,000 more than the amount you can bury in the AHL, and he didn't do much to justify the extension.
In the nicest possible terms, Parssinen was "just a guy" for the Rangers. He averaged just 9:46 a game, had five points, and his underlyings include a 57.46 GF%, a 36.57 CF%, and a 35.6 xGF% per Evolving-Hockey. This season he has appeared in 14 games and posted a 66.59 GF%, a 41.43 CF%, and a 41.89 xGF%. He enjoyed a ton of luck as the Rangers shot 17.86% and had a .947 save percentage in the 124 5v5 minutes Parsinnen graced the ice, during which he tallied two goals and an assist. Good on the Rangers for making the right decision, but they could have saved themselves the headache by just moving in the offseason.
Noah Laba's excellence forced the issue for the Rangers
There's an alternate reality where the Noah Laba gets off to a really rough start, and he's assigned to the Hartford Wolf Pack. That reality would keep Parssinen in the mix, even if it were just as the 13th forward. But Laba's been so good for the team, and he's stepped up at a time in which the Rangers have seen Mika Zibanejad move back to center as the team has navigated injures to J.T. Miller and Vincent Trocheck which occurred at different times.
Sam Carrick has also been noticeable in his own way for the Rangers, and that is another player Parssinen was competing for playing time with. You could also throw Jonny Brodzinski into the mix, as he's been quite good on the wing in a depth role, an area the Rangers briefly considered for Parssinen.
What happens next
The Rangers will learn tomorrow whether or not Parssinen cleared. If he clears, he can join the Wolf Pack right away, and the majority of his cap hit will come off the Rangers' active cap. If he's claimed, the Rangers are completely free and clear. A roster spot will then open up that would make room for Will Borgen, if he's ready, as the team didn't want to re-assign the recently recalled Brett Berard.