The Rangers might have found their missing piece at center, and it’s coming from an unexpected source.
Noah Laba, a 22-year-old prospect who most fans haven’t heard of yet, is turning heads at training camp and could land a spot on the opening night roster.
"It might be too early to have that conversation, but he’s certainly performed extremely well," Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan told reporters Wednesday.
Sullivan confirmed Laba is competing for the third-line center position, mainly against Juuso Pärssinen, who came over in last year’s Ryan Lindgren trade with the Avalanche.
At 6-foot-2 and 192 pounds, Laba already has NHL-ready size. But there’s more to his game than just being big.
He was a standout at Colorado College, where he absolutely dominated during his sophomore year. His 37 points in 36 games led the team in every offensive category, and he picked up some impressive hardware along the way – including a nomination for the prestigious Hobey Baker Award.
Last season wasn’t quite as spectacular, with 26 points in 29 games, but he was still the team’s offensive leader.
The Rangers got their first real look at Laba in pro hockey when he joined their AHL team in Hartford this spring. He didn’t look out of place at all, putting up 5 points in 11 games.
Here’s what makes this interesting: The Rangers have a history of fast-tracking college players to the NHL. Just last year, they did it with Victor Mancini, who went straight from college to splitting time between the NHL and AHL.
The team’s current situation might work in Laba’s favor. They’re pretty thin at center, especially for their top nine forwards. Pärssinen is the favorite for the job, but his NHL track record is mixed – 25 points in 45 games two years ago with Nashville, but just 16 points in 48 games last season.
With less than $800,000 in cap space, the Rangers can’t really go shopping for a veteran center. That might just open the door for their young prospect to grab the opportunity.
The question now is whether Laba can turn his strong camp performance into a regular NHL job. We might not have to wait long to find out.
