One player every New York Rangers fan was keeping an eye on this season was Noah Laba. After a strong preseason showing, the 22-year-old center earned a spot on the opening night roster. Since getting the opportunity, Laba has shown flashes that he belongs in the NHL. In 42 games this season, he has racked up five goals and seven assists for 12 points. For the first time, it seemed like the Rangers had a promising young forward on their hand.
That's why everyone was so upset when Laba was injured in the New Year's Eve game against the Capitals. To make things worse, it looked like he could miss significant time as Mollie Walker reported Laba was week-to-week. However, it appears these worries were unfounded, as Vince Mercogliano has reported that Laba was a full participant in Friday's practice and is a game-time decision for Saturday's game against the Bruins.
#NYR coach Mike Sullivan called Noah Laba "a possibility" for tomorrow's game in Boston after fully participating in today's practice.
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) January 9, 2026
"We'll see how he responds and make decisions from there."
Getting Laba back would be huge for the Rangers. It would lengthen the Rangers' lineup and give Mike Sullivan the physical edge he's been looking for. But what should fans expect when Laba returns to the lineup?
Noah Laba will be a player to watch regardless of how the Rangers do
Laba's advanced metrics tell a similar story to his counting stats. According to Natural Stat Trick, he has 46.05 CF%, a 48.80 SCF%, and a 45.12 xGF%. He's also allowed 90 high danger chances and 192 scoring chances. These numbers are all under what's expected of an NHL player, but that should not come as a surprise, as it's only his first year in the league. There will be growing pains and an adjustment period.
The only way that Laba is going to improve is if he's on the ice. The more games he plays, the quicker he will develop and get used to the NHL game. With it looking more and more like the Rangers are going to be sellers at the trade deadline, Laba should have a lot of opportunity for ice time. Once the trade deadline passes and the Rangers move on from their veteran players, the focus will turn to developing their young players. A perfect situation for Laba.
He will also have the opportunity to play with Gabe Perreault. Since being recalled from Hartford, Perreault has been one of the Rangers' third-line wingers. Having these two play together gives them the opportunity to develop chemistry. With both being so young, it's likely they will play together for years to come. It's best to have them get used to playing together during a down season. That way, when the Rangers start to compete again, they will have a new version of the kids' line.
Perreault will also be the most talented offensive player that Laba has played with in the NHL. This gives him a chance to improve his offensive numbers. So far this season, Laba has been decent at generating chances inside the mid-range and high-danger zone. But when you play with guys like Conor Sheary and Taylor Raddysh, those chances rarely translate to goals. However, when you have a player with the skill set Perrault does, those opportunities will start turning into goals, making Laba's stat line look a lot better.
Regardless of whether Laba plays Saturday or not, getting him back in the lineup will be huge for his development. It will allow the Rangers to give a potential piece of their future the chance to develop and prove he belongs.