Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
Jaroslav Chmelar and Juuso Parssinen are back with the New York Rangers, and the roster shuffle screams urgency before the next game.
This is the kind of move that tells you the coaches want specific tools, not just fresh legs.
Chmelar is 22, drafted in 2021, 5th round by the New York Rangers, and he’s built like a wrecking ball winger.
Parssinen is 25, drafted in 2019, 7th round by the Nashville Predators, and he brings that big-body center comfort the bottom-six always needs.
On the other side, Brendan Brisson and Scott Morrow head back to Hartford, which usually means the staff wants them playing heavy minutes instead of sitting.
Brisson is 24, drafted in 2020, 1st round by the Vegas Golden Knights, and this season in Hartford he’s at 13-10-23 in 46 games.
Morrow is 23, drafted in 2021, 2nd round by the Carolina Hurricanes, and he’s at 1-4-5 in 14 AHL games.
Parssinen has quietly found offense down there, posting 5-1-6 in 11 games, which is exactly how you force a recall.
Jaroslav Chmelar gives New York Rangers a different edge
Rangers fans are tired of the yo-yo, but they also know this team needs any spark it can grab right now.
Chmelar’s calling card is straight-line chaos. He doesn’t need pretty touches to change a shift, he just needs one clean hit and one puck recovered.
Parssinen’s value is simpler. He can take a draw, lean on a defender, and keep the puck alive long enough for a line to breathe.
This also feels like a message to Brisson and Morrow. The organization likes them, but it’s still «earn it every day.»
The timing matters because the Rangers’ lineup has been choppy, and the staff keeps looking for a combo that doesn’t bleed chances.
If Chmelar sticks, he brings forecheck bite. If Parssinen sticks, he brings structure down the middle.
Either way, Wednesday is the next checkpoint, because every game from here starts looking like an audition for next season too.
Previously on NY Hockey Insider
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Rangers announce four transactions ahead of the NHL trade deadline
Will Jaroslav Chmelar and Juuso Parssinen stick with the New York Rangers this time?