Can the New York Rangers 22-Year-Old Forward Build Off a Surprising 25-26 Rookie Season?
Following the New York Rangers' breakdown over the past two seasons, the win-now mentality is long gone. As Chris Drury looks to begin their first offseason in the retooling stage, it’s good to look at the bright spots that made the Blueshirts worth watching this season. Amid the chaos, a group of New York rookies surprised quite a few fans late in the season. However, one rookie surprised fans everywhere, including himself, by earning a spot on the roster from opening night. Amidst a surprising 25-26 campaign, what can fans expect from the 22-year-old rookie forward?
Drafted 111th overall in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft, Noah Laba began his collegiate career for Colorado College during the 22-23 season. Three seasons with the Tigers later, the Rangers signed the young forward to a two-year, entry-level contract on March 19th, 2025. Spending 11 playing for the Hartford Wolfpack, Laba recorded three goals and two assists. The following Fall, the Michigan native reported to training camp and joined the Blueshirts on the ice for a sour opening night on October 7th. The rookie’s efforts rewarded him with his first taste in the NHL, and he sure made the most of his time on ice.
The 22-year-old recorded his first career NHL point in his third NHL game in a 6-1 victory against the Pittsburgh Penguins on March 11th. A few weeks later, the six-foot-three forward found the back of the net for the first time, scoring the only goal in a 5-1 loss to the Calgary Flames. Proving himself worthy of playing at this level, the former Colorado Tiger went on to play 74 games this season, missing eight due to injury stints. In 74 games, Laba went on to record nine goals and 15 assists, all while finishing the season with a plus-two rating. Not a bad sign of what's to come for the young center, playing with physicality, doing his job on faceoffs, and even making the defensive plays when it mattered. A surprising season indeed for the rookie center, now where does he go from here?
Although Laba struggled a bit in the first half of the season, his time on the ice after the Olympic break certainly made up for it. With some consistent ice time, minutes on the penalty kill, and doing his job on defense, he played quite comfortably alongside fellow rookies Jaroslav Chmelar and Adam Sykora. During a brief five-game stretch, the 22-year-old center went on a sudden surge with three goals and two assists in March. As of right now, New York has a young forward using size and speed, getting his time on the second power-play unit, as well as someone who knows how to drive to the net, a great sign for one of their surprising New York rookies. Likely to begin next season on the third line again, perhaps Laba’s production could earn him a potential spot on the top six and even earn him more ice time throughout, averaging around 13:28 last season. The 22-year-old rookie center has all Summer to prepare for his second NHL season. Can he maintain his defensive work while also growing offensively?
