Nashville's head coach emphasized that Pärssinen's move to the AHL is all about growth and confidence.
On Tuesday, the Nashville Predators announced that forward Juuso Pärssinen was being assigned to the Milwaukee Admirals. The 22-year-old Finnish forward played 45 games in the 2022-2023 season after making his NHL debut on November 12, 2022. This season, he's played 44 games and recorded eight goals and twelve points. Pärssinen has been a healthy scratch for a handful of games this season as he battled inconsistency on the ice.
Head coach Andrew Brunette was clear that the franchise still believes in Pärssinen and the move is about growing his game.
"It's not a punishment," Brunette said. "It's a growth for the player."
Brunette was asked what has been missing in Pärssinen's game in Nashville this season.
"I think it's probably confidence right now," Brunette said. "I'm failing him a little bit in that it's hard to get them going up here. We know he's a much better player than he's showing us right now."
"He probably hates to hear it, but it's probably the best for his game. When we get him, we know he'll be a better player. They do a great job down there."
Pärssinen isn't the only player who is struggling on the Predators' roster right now. Players like Luke Evangelista, Tommy Novak, Kiefer Sherwood, and Cody Glass are all battling streaky production which is affecting the team and their individual confidence.
"In our league and where we are right now, it's hard to get confidence this time of year," Brunette said. "We've got a couple of young kids in the same boat."
The situation weighs on Brunette.
"I think you take pride in putting your players in positions to succeed and helping them become the best version of themselves," Brunette said. "I take that pretty personally, too, because I believe I try to get the best of my guys."
For Pärssinen, the path forward goes back through Milwaukee for now.
"In my opinion, the best is go," Brunette said. "Go play down there, play twenty plus minutes a night, be on the power play, have fun, and we'll get a better version of him when he gets back."
In last night's game against the Bellevue Senators, Pärssinen centered a line with Milwaukee team mates Liam Foudy and Reid Schaefer. The Admirals won in a shootout 4-3, their eighth win in a row.