We are quickly nearing the middle of July, and are at a point where free agency has slowed to a crawl with all of the biggest names long off the board. The New York Rangers were very busy at the draft and during the start of free agency, and on paper their roster looks vastly improved. That said, it does feel as if the team is a forward short, but that might be by design.
While a lot has been said about the potential roster battles on wing in which Liam Greentree could fight for a spot, very little's been said about center ice. While Joe Veleno was signed on July 1, a move done because the Rangers thing he could be the opening night No. 4 center, there's another name that hasn't received a ton of attention.
Noah Laba's breakout last year is a potential blueprint for another young center
Nobody was thinking about Noah Laba heading into the 2025-26 NHL season, and he became a story after having an impressive rookie camp which translated into a very strong preseason. Up until that point Laba had compiled 58 points in 96 games in the USHL, and 85 points in 100 games across three seasons in NCAA hockey. Laba was 21 going on 22, and at 6'3" and 214 pounds he stood out and forced the Rangers to play him. His season can be looked at as a great success, and there's every reason to believe another player could try and make a similar impact this year.
There are some key difference between Laba and Aidan Thompson, but the latter is an intriguing name who went through a similar development process. The general thought here is that the Rangers acquired Thompson at this year's trade deadline, and given their need for centers, there's every reason to believe he could get a shot to earn a job in training camp.
Thompson's production was better than Laba's at similar levels
Thompson was selected in the third round of the 2022 NHL Draft, one round before Laba, and he also spent time in the USHL with the Lincoln Stars. Thompson scored 34 goals and added 82 assists for 116 points in 117 games in the USHL, and then moved onto college hockey at the University of Denver. He played in 120 games across three seasons, and scored 42 goals while adding 75 assists for 117 points. He also won a National Championship in Denver, and was an important piece for the Pioneers while he was part of the program.
From a raw statistics perspective, Thompson's body of work blows Laba's out of the water. At 5'11" and 181 pounds, Thompson is significantly smaller than Laba, and he also just turned 24 whereas Laba turns 23 in August. That means that he's further along in his development, and the chances of him having a breakout aren't as likely.
Laba had five points in the 11 AHL games he appeared in after finishing his time with Colorado College, and to this point Thompson has a line of 8-15-23 in 62 games across three seasons. That said, he looked slightly better with the Hartford Wolf Pack (2-5-7 in 18 games) than he was with IceHogs (6-9-15 in 40 games).
Where things go from here
In terms of actual prospects, the Rangers don't have as many options at center. Cole Beaudoin was acquired in the Vincent Trocheck trade, and he's a player who has a nice track record of work up to this point. He could use some time in the AHL to prove himself, but he's another option who could be in the mix. Bryce McConnell-Barker and Dylan Roobroeck both were in Hartford last season, but they need to show a little bit more first before being a potential NHL recall option.
Juuso Parssinen has NHL experience, but isn't someone who should really factor into the long term plans of the organization. After that there's also Carey Terrance, a key piece in the Chris Kreider trade, but he had an underwhelming AHL rookie season.
That the Rangers only signed Veleno, and haven't looked to get a center who was at or better than Trocheck, says to me that they have hope that someone within the system can be a surprise. It's either that or the organization is hoping they can land an impact superstar center in the next few years to push everyone else down.
So for now, players like Thompson are on my radar, and I am interested to see how they perform in the preseason. There's every reason to believe he could be a guy for the Rangers at some point, but he ultimately needs to go out and prove it.
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