The New York Rangers' surprise addition has turned out to be their saving grace this season. The absence of Vincent Trocheck due to injury created a void in the top six, but Noah Laba's emergence from training camp has been instrumental in filling that gap.
Laba, a 22-year-old center from Colorado College, was expected to contribute to the team, but no one could have predicted how quickly he would develop into an impactful middle-six player. His speed, positioning, and composure on the ice make him a nightmare for opponents. Laba's ability to hang onto pucks, make plays, and drive the net has been particularly impressive.
In his latest outing against the Seattle Kraken, Laba skated alongside Will Cuylle and Alexis Lafrenière as part of the second line, and the trio was dominant in their five-on-five ice time. They out-chanced their opponents 6-1 and posted a 77.45 expected goals for percentage. Laba's speed and agility allowed him to win foot races and create scoring opportunities.
Among Rangers who have played in all 13 games so far this season, Laba boasts the highest goals for percentage at 66.67. His confidence and hunger on the ice are evident, as he continues to make plays and drive the net.
Head coach Mike Sullivan praises Laba's growth, saying that his game is getting better with every game, and that he has a lot of confidence playing right in front of him. Laba attributes his success to his ability to hang onto pucks and drive the net. Despite being an under-the-radar pick from 2022, Laba has emerged as a key contributor for the Rangers.
The emergence of Laba is particularly significant given the absence of Trocheck, who has resumed skating in New York but may still be some time away from returning to the ice. With Trocheck's potential return looming, Laba's role on the team is unlikely to change anytime soon. The Rangers may have found something special in the young center, and his continued development could prove crucial in the team's success this season.
Laba, a 22-year-old center from Colorado College, was expected to contribute to the team, but no one could have predicted how quickly he would develop into an impactful middle-six player. His speed, positioning, and composure on the ice make him a nightmare for opponents. Laba's ability to hang onto pucks, make plays, and drive the net has been particularly impressive.
In his latest outing against the Seattle Kraken, Laba skated alongside Will Cuylle and Alexis Lafrenière as part of the second line, and the trio was dominant in their five-on-five ice time. They out-chanced their opponents 6-1 and posted a 77.45 expected goals for percentage. Laba's speed and agility allowed him to win foot races and create scoring opportunities.
Among Rangers who have played in all 13 games so far this season, Laba boasts the highest goals for percentage at 66.67. His confidence and hunger on the ice are evident, as he continues to make plays and drive the net.
Head coach Mike Sullivan praises Laba's growth, saying that his game is getting better with every game, and that he has a lot of confidence playing right in front of him. Laba attributes his success to his ability to hang onto pucks and drive the net. Despite being an under-the-radar pick from 2022, Laba has emerged as a key contributor for the Rangers.
The emergence of Laba is particularly significant given the absence of Trocheck, who has resumed skating in New York but may still be some time away from returning to the ice. With Trocheck's potential return looming, Laba's role on the team is unlikely to change anytime soon. The Rangers may have found something special in the young center, and his continued development could prove crucial in the team's success this season.
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! He came out of nowhere and is now a legit game-changer for the Rangers 
! His speed, positioning, and composure are insane! He's like a little hockey ninja on the ice, outskating everyone and making plays left and right 
! The fact that he's carrying over from training camp to regular season is just mind-blowing 
. Coach Sullivan was spot on with his praise - Laba's growth is real, and he's got the confidence and hunger to make a difference. Fingers crossed he keeps it up this season 
. I mean, who expected him to step up like this? His speed and positioning on the ice are insane 
️! And that confidence he's got is infectious - it's making him a nightmare for opponents 
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. But I guess you never really know what you're gonna get until they step onto the ice 
. Laba's ability to drive the net and make plays is clutch 
! And with Trocheck possibly returning soon, it'll be interesting to see how Laba adjusts his game 
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Only time will tell, but for now, I'm all in on Laba and the Rangers 
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! You gotta wonder, though - what if this was just part of their master plan to create competition for ice time? I mean, Trocheck's return could still be on the horizon, but Laba's already got a stranglehold on that spot 
. It's like the team's saying, "Hey, we've got someone who can fill the void, and we're not gonna let him go without a fight 
!" Sullivan's gotta be breathing down these young guns, making sure they keep pushing themselves to stay ahead of the curve 
But on the other hand, I'm not sure if I'd say he's a "nightmare" for opponents or whatever... I mean, have you seen him skate against some of those top players in the league? 
Maybe they're just not that bad at him or something... And what's with this whole "game getting better with every game" thing from Coach Sullivan? Is he even talking about Laba or is it just general coach-speak? 
but what's really got me excited is that laba's emergence from training camp has been the rangers' saving grace this season 
anyway back to laba - 66.67 goals for percentage is insane! 
His speed, positioning, and composure on ice are insane, and he's been making plays left & right. The fact that the team has found someone like him when they needed it most is huge 
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️ Life is what happens when you're busy making other plans