Noah Laba’s Unexpected NHL Journey
Noah Laba never really anticipated playing a full professional season in the NHL, but here he is.
After wrapping up his college career, he got a brief taste of the AHL with the Wolfpack last year—just 11 games. This fall, he attended the Rangers’ training camp for the first time and found himself in the lineup on Opening Day.
He made quite an impression, leading the team with six points during the preseason.
More importantly, he demonstrated his capability to earn the trust of the Rangers’ coaching staff, solidifying his place as the third-line center.
“Did I expect this? Not really,” Laba reflected on his last day. “But if you had told me it would happen, I would have said that’s what I worked for. I believed in myself. It’s not a walk in the park, especially coming out of college. I think I only played 29 games there last year. When you step up and play more than twice that many games, it’s a real learning experience.”
He added, “You learn how to manage the game, how to handle your body, and what it really takes to succeed and be responsible in this league.”
Had it not been for a couple of injuries, Laba might have played all 82 games during his rookie season.
He missed three games in January with an upper-body injury and then another five in March due to a lower-body issue.
Whenever he was fit again, there was a spot waiting for him, which wasn’t the case for everyone on the team this season.
Laba, at 22 years old, stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 214 pounds. His speed and physicality have stood out this season.
His top speed was clocked at 23.04 mph, surpassing 86% of NHL players, and he reached the 94th percentile with 14 bursts of speed exceeding 22 mph, according to NHL Edge.
He won numerous foot races and consistently delivered hits, racking up 110 which ranked sixth on the Rangers.
Head coach Mike Sullivan also utilized him on special teams. Laba briefly played on the second power play unit and participated in penalty killing rotations.
The major concern for Laba, a fourth-round pick in 2022, seems to be his offensive instincts, which he acknowledges need improvement.
“My priority now is to become a better shooter,” Laba stated, finishing with 9 goals and 15 assists in 74 games. “I’m focused on enhancing my stick skills and becoming a more effective offensive player. It’s all about making strides in the offensive zone. I’m eager to work on that this summer.”
With an $870,000 cap hit through next season, Laba could become an essential center moving forward.
If Vincent Trocheck is traded this summer, the Rangers might pair Mika Zibanejad and JT Miller at the top of their center lines.
Even though he filled the third-line center role for a large part of the season, Laba currently fits more comfortably in a fourth-line position given his offensive output.
The Rangers will need to bring in more competition for the bottom-six center roles, especially since Juuso Parsinen, who was extended last May but has only played in 20 games this season, hasn’t made a significant impact.
Still, Laba isn’t taking anything for granted.
He intends to spend part of his summer training in New York, preparing for the next season.
“I’m still eager to compete and prove my place here. I believe I can contribute to the team,” he shared. “I want to keep that mindset heading into camp and really focus on improving my game this summer.”
In other news, Rangers defenseman Will Borgen has made the U.S. preliminary roster for the 2026 IIHF World Championship, scheduled for Switzerland from May 15-31.
