Noah Laba’s rookie surge provides a cornerstone for Rangers' next wave

Noah Laba’s 2025-26 campaign was the definition of a forced hand, and it was impressive to see that him taking initiative was rewarded with trust and an opportunity. When the Rangers signed the Colorado College standout to a two-year ELC in March of 2025, the blueprint suggested a long runway in Hartford to acclimate to the pro game.

Instead, Laba used training camp to tear that blueprint up, and made it so that the Rangers couldn't send him away. He didn't just earn a roster spot, but rather, he spent the next six months proving he could handle the heaviest workload of his life. There were peaks and valleys while transitioning from the NCAA schedule to a grueling NHL marathon, but Laba made it through without losing his identity as a player.

Expectations

The initial expectation for Laba was a year of learning and growing with the Hartford Wolf Pack. As a 6’3”, 214-pound center, the organization saw him as a long-term project who could eventually fill a bottom-six void. Very few anticipated that he would leapfrog the AHL entirely, not counting the game he played to end 2024-25 on an ATO, and secure an opening-night spot as the team's third line center. By forcing his way into Mike Sullivan's lineup, Laba shifted his own narrative from prospect to watch to essential roster piece before the first puck even dropped in October.

Performance

Laba’s rookie year was a tale of resilience. He hit a noticeable peak in March, where his chemistry with Tye Kartye turned the third line into the team's most consistent depth-scoring unit. While he dealt with upper and lower-body injuries, including a five-game absence in late March, he established himself as an established pro who plays the game the right way.

He finished the year with nine goals and 24 points, but his impact was best measured by the trust metrics which include averaging 13:28 per game and a 50.8% faceoff win rate. These are impressive numbers for a 22-year-old rookie center, and his opportunities should only grow in 2026-27.

Laba was also a workhorse for the Blueshirts, and his 86th-percentile speed allowed him to track down loose pucks and win races that the Rangers’ veterans often lost. Even when the rookie wall loomed, his post-Olympic break surge (six points in 11 March games) proved he has the conditioning and mental fortitude to survive the NHL grind.

His under-the-hood metrics, courtesy of Evolving-Hockey, are also pretty inspiring. Laba skated 852 minutes at even strength, and he compiled a slash line that features a 52.98 GF%, a 45.88 CF%, and a 47.38 xGF%. All things considered, you should be encouraged that the Rangers outscored the competition when Laba was on the ice. You want him to possess the puck more, and doing that will help push up his xGF% in the process. That can also come from having better linemates with established chemistry, and we saw spurts of that toward the end of the season.

Grade: B+

Where do they go from here?

In February, Laba reflected on his season to date, and his quote about his season to date, and desire for the future was quite striking. Laba said, “I think anytime you’re given an opportunity, you try to do the best you can with it, and that’s my goal. I want to be here for a long time and continue to be a key player here. It takes a lot of work on my end, and I’m going to continue to try to work towards that.”

This mindset is exactly what the Rangers need as they move forward and try and assemble a group to get back to the playoffs and win. There's no room for complacency, and even though not much was expected of Laba, he wants to continue to get better and not use his inexperience as an excuse.

He is more of a known quantity today than he was a year ago, and that should allow Chris Drury to focus on top-six acquisitions this summer, knowing the third-line center spot is locked down by a cost-controlled, high-speed asset.

After a summer of rest and his first full professional off-season, Laba will enter 2026-27 with the mindset of a veteran. If he can build on what he showed late in the season, and be someone who chips in anywhere from 30 to 40 points a season, that would be massive for the organization, and a much needed development win.

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