They couldn't have waited much later to get this done, but the Nashville Predators came to an agreement with Juuso Parssinen to the tune of one year at a minimal salary of $775,000.
Parssinen's entry level contract expired after 89 NHL games and 37 points. He also added 138 hits and contributed in the faceoff circle while averaging 14:28 of ice time.
It was unclear what the future held for Parssinen in Nashville after being sent down the Milwaukee Admirals midway last season, but he made his return to the postseason by playing in Game 6 against the Vancouver Canucks.
Nashville Predatros wait it out but finally get Parssinen a new deal
The Predators were in a salary cap dilemma after spending big in free agency to land Steven Stamkos, Jonathan Marchessault and Brady Skjei. They had to part ways with Cody Glass in a trade to free up extra space.
What is really telling about this contract for Parssinen is that it's one-way. He's not waivers excempt due to his already acquired professional hockey experience, so the Predators are showing some degree of commitment to him to remain a viable NHL player this season.
In other words, if Parssinen's level of play diminishes to the point that the Predators want him out of the starting lineup, there's the risk that he's taking up a roster spot for nothing or that he's lost on waivers. There's also the possibility that if it does come to that, Parssinen could be placed on waivers and not claimed by anyone, sending him back to Milwaukee.
However, this deal gets done before Philip Tomasino gets a new deal. Tomasino remains an RFA with training camp just a week away. This signifies that Parssinen was more highly-regarded by General Manager Barry Trotz than Tomasino, which if true is really shocking considering Tomasino is a former first-round pick while Parssinen is a seventh-round pick.
Either way, Parssinen should be a lock to be in the starting lineup on opening night of the 2024-25 season against the Dallas Stars. DailyFaceoff has Parssinen slated as a fourth-line winger with Michael McCarron and Cole Smith.
The upside for Parssinen is he's versatile and has strong physical attributes as either a center or winger. If he can really trend upward this year and round out his game in consistent fashion, then further down the road it would be ideal to see Parssinen become a fulltime center for the Predators.
As of the short-term future, the Predators are set at center in the bottom-six with Colton Sissons and Michael McCarron. Those two aren't going to get bumped off their spots, hence why Parssinen can slide over to the wing and makes Tomasino a little more expendable.
Parssinen is getting one year to really prove it to the Predators. If he really levels up and produces on a consistent level, he'll command much more of a commitment and pay raise next offseason. If not, then the Predators might move on for good from Parssinen.
Parssinen gets a "prove it" year for the Predators in 2024-25. He'll certainly be a spotlight player to watch at training camp to see what confidence he brings to the table now that he's got his first NHL standard contract signed.