The Rangers have struggled to construct a third line with any sort of identity for quite some time, but new head coach Mike Sullivan has a clear idea of what he wants.
In anticipation of Mika Zibanejad starting the season on the right wing of J.T. Miller in the top six, the Blueshirts need someone to assume the third-line center role and anchor a dependable unit that can hold its own on both sides of the puck.
Sullivan said he envisions Juuso Parssinen to get a “significant” opportunity to win the job after the 24-year-old Finn signed a two-year contract with the Rangers this summer.
“I think the third line has the ability to create an identity amongst our team where we can rely on that line for conscientious play,” the new bench boss said at the start of training camp. “And what I mean by that is, can they get defensive zone starts against another team’s top line? If they lose the draw, can they be reliable and trustworthy to defend hard and limit our opponent’s offense? Do they have the ability to drive the puck down the ice and create momentum and control territory for us so that we could potentially set up our offensive guys for success in the offensive zone?
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
