The New York Rangers completed the majority of moves this offseason that facilitiated their plans to retool the roster. After months of keeping him on the trade block, center Vincent Trocheck, their top player available dating back to the March deadline, was dealt to the Utah Mammoth. In exchange the Rangers received defenseman Sean Durzi, center prospect Cole Beaudoin, and a 2027 third-round pick.
This was a tough decision for the Rangers, as they could have feasibly kept Trocheck if they wanted to. Yet, the Rangers opted to trade him to get a defenseman and land a much-needed center prospect. By making this move, the Rangers not only have a void at center, but also one who can contribute defensively and on special teams
But, it will be the next-man up for the Rangers. Head coach Mike Sullivan has someone in mind to try and replace Trocheck.
Mike Sullivan names Noah Laba as player who can replace Vincent Trocheck
In a recent interview with NHL.com's Dan Rosen, Sullivan discussed the Rangers moving on from Trocheck in the offseason. Sullivan mentioned Noah Laba as a player who could replace the veteran center.
"I think he has good size, he can really skate and I think he has an aptitude for the game," said Sullivan. "We liked the progress that he made in particular on the defensive side. I do think there's an offensive dimension to his game that he can continue to evolve and build, but certainly we're going to rely on putting him in defensive situations, difficult situations against other team's best players, and we think he's a guy that can handle that."
Moving on from Trocheck was always going to be difficult, considering he could contribute on the power play and the penalty kill, while winning face-offs. Those things, along with his relatively affordable contract, were reasons why he was one of the more sought-after players on the team ahead of the trade deadline. Plus, the Mammoth gave them an offer they couldn't refuse.
But the fact that Sullivan mentioned Laba as one of the key replacement options for Trocheck does speak volumes.
Noah Laba needs to live up to Mike Sullivan's vote of confidence in second season
Laba made the most of his opportunity since making his debut with the team this past season. He mostly received bottom six minutes during his rookie season, which may not be the dream for some young players. But he impressed so much that he's virtually a lock to be one of the centers on the third or fourth line.
In 74 games, Laba recorded nine goals and 15 assists while averaging 13:28 of ice time. Defensively, Laba recorded 110 hits, 43 blocked shots, and 12 takeaways. Laba also won 50.8 percent of his face-off opportunities (331 wins). Overall, not bad numbers for a rookie looking to etch a spot in the lineup iin the bottom six.
Obviously, the expectation is that Laba should take the next step and be more productive in his second season. Having expanded opportunities should help with that. With Trocheck gone, it's entirely possible that Laba could receive penalty kill chances. That, and he could make it onto the second power play unit.
Laba could get a head start on this during training camp and in the preseason. Of course, it will be an evaluation period for Sullivan, and he'll decide whether Laba is the player that can fill in for Trocheck's multiple opportunities. Talk about pressure. But as of now, the head coach has a lot of confidence in Laba's ability to do so.
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