Matt Rempe’s upper-body injury, which will keep him out on a week-to-week basis, opens the door for young talented stars to get more opportunities in the New York Rangers lineup. Both have struggled to secure a consistent spot, but with Rempe sidelined, a full-time role is now available.
Since returning on Jan. 9 from an eight-game suspension for elbowing Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen, Rempe had played in 31 of the last 32 games as a regular on the fourth line. Now, with both Rempe and Adam Edstrom (injured on Feb. 1) unavailable, Berard and Parssinen should have more chances to prove themselves.
Both players bring youth and much-needed tenacity to the Rangers, especially with every game being crucial at this point in the season. However, while they share an aggressive playing style, their individual skill sets differ.
Berard is expected to take Rempe’s spot on the fourth line when the Rangers face the Anaheim Ducks on Friday, joining Sam Carrick—who returns after missing a game for the birth of his son—and Nicolas Aube-Kubel, who made his Rangers debut in Tuesday’s 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings. The 22-year-old was a healthy scratch for the last two games after previously playing five straight.
A fifth-round pick in the Rangers’ strong 2020 draft class, Berard has bounced between the NHL and AHL this season, his second year as a pro. He had an impressive rookie campaign with Hartford in the AHL, leading the team with 25 goals. Despite being undersized at 5-foot-9 and 175 pounds, he plays with fearless intensity and is an effective shooter.
Berard earned his first NHL call-up in November, just as the Rangers hit a rough patch. In his NHL debut on Nov. 25 against the St. Louis Blues, he registered an assist, then followed it up with a crucial goal against the Carolina Hurricanes to tie the game 2-2 before the Rangers ultimately fell 4-3.
After his strong start, Berard managed just one point over his next 11 games and totaled only six points in 17 contests before being sent back to Hartford on Jan. 10. Since his most recent call-up in early March, he has gone scoreless in eight games, raising doubts about whether he is truly ready for a full-time NHL role.
Effort is not the issue for Berard. However, consistently translating his aggressive forechecking—so effective during his time at Providence College—and creating scoring opportunities like he did in Hartford has been a challenge at the NHL level. With one year remaining on his entry-level contract, the Rangers still have the flexibility to send him down if he doesn’t prove he belongs in the NHL permanently.
Overall, the speedy winger has recorded eight points (four goals, four assists) in 28 games while moving throughout the Rangers lineup, though he has primarily played in a bottom-six role.
Juuso Parssinen struggling to get untracked since trade to Rangers
Parssinen is a completely different type of player. A seventh-round pick by the Nashville Predators in the 2019 draft, he is now on his third team this season, arriving in New York as part of the March 1 trade that sent Ryan Lindgren and Jimmy Vesey to the Colorado Avalanche. This move came just two months after Colorado had acquired him from Nashville on Dec. 28—hopefully, a suitcase was on his Christmas list.
Unlike Berard, Parssinen brings a 6-foot-3, 212-pound frame, as well as the versatility to play center. The Rangers quickly tested him in that role, slotting him in as the third-line center after Filip Chytil was moved in the J.T. Miller trade with Vancouver on Jan. 31.
Though his size is comparable to Chytil’s, there’s a reason Chytil was a first-round pick while Parssinen was a late-round selection. The 24-year-old has struggled with offensive consistency, though he did put up a respectable 25 points (six goals, 19 assists) in 45 games as a rookie with the Predators in 2022-23.
The Rangers took a chance on him, if for no other reason than moments like his highlight-reel overtime goal against the Minnesota Wild two seasons ago.
However, his stint at center was short-lived due to a lack of offensive production, and he hasn’t found much more success on the wing. In eight games with the Rangers, he has yet to record a shot on goal—let alone a point—though his ice time has been limited. He has also bounced in and out of the lineup, playing four straight games, then sitting for five, before returning for another four.
That said, Parssinen made an immediate impression in a March 5 game against Washington, just four days after joining the team. When Brennan Othmann took a questionable hit from behind by Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary, Parssinen quickly stepped up, dropping the gloves in his first NHL fight. Unfortunately, his opponent was veteran Matt Roy, making for a tough mismatch.
While the outcome of the fight wasn’t in his favor, his willingness to stand up for a teammate resonated with the Rangers. By the time play resumed, nearly every skater had visited the penalty box to show their appreciation.
Still, Parssinen isn’t here to be a fighter—he needs to find his two-way game or risk being on the move again next season.
With new father Sam Carrick and Stanley Cup champion Nicolas Aube-Kubel providing veteran presence on the fourth line, coach Peter Laviolette opted for Berard over Parssinen for Friday’s game against Anaheim. That could change against San Jose on Saturday, or Aube-Kubel could be rotated out as well.
The Rangers won’t hesitate to replace either player next season if they fail to make an impact down the stretch. As late-round draft picks, the numbers may already work against them, though Berard has built a strong reputation within the organization. That said, both have already accomplished a lot by making it to the NHL.
Every roster vacancy presents an opportunity. With Rempe out, competition is heating up in practice and in games. For Berard and Parssinen, these crucial final matchups are their chance to prove their NHL story is far from over.
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