Rangers Getting Good Contributions From Younger Forwards

Lafreniere had a poor start to this season, but over the last five games, he has been starting to heat up, with three goals and six points. It also helps that he has been reunited with Artemi Panarin and Vincent Trocheck, the latter of whom just returned from injury after missing 14 games. This line has been dominant over the last two games, and if they can continue to play at this level, Lafreniere should be on track to have a better season than last.

The Emergence of Noah Laba

Noah Laba played his way onto the team in training camp, and so far, he has been impressive. While his offensive stats aren’t there, with just three goals and six points in 18 games, his overall game has been a joy to watch. Laba plays a fast game and can move the puck up the ice quicker than most.

He also plays a strong two-way game and has been used on the penalty kill. Even when Trocheck was out, the coaching staff trusted him enough to move up to the second line while they stacked the first line with veteran players like Panarin, J.T. Miller, and Mika Zibanejad. He is now back playing on the third line, but his emergence has given the Rangers some much-needed depth, and he has become the third-line center that the team has been looking for since Filip Chytil was traded last January.

Will Cuylle’s Improved Play

Like Lafreniere, Will Cuylle did not have the best start this season. He was one of the bright spots on a bad team last season, with 20 goals and 45 points through 82 games. But this season, he started with just one goal in his first 12 games and one point in his first nine. He then went on a four-game point-scoring streak, with five points. In his last five games, he has returned to form, with four goals.

It helped that Cuylle was moved to the top power play unit in the last five games. The Rangers were lacking a net-front presence after trading Chris Kreider during the offseason, and so far, it has gone well for Cuylle, who has two power-play goals in his last four games.

He was moved back to the third line when Trocheck returned and Gabe Perreault was called up, and that might be the best spot for him. This means he will get to play against weaker opponents, and that is where he thrived last season. Having a player like him on the third line is a luxury for the Rangers, and he can be put back into the top six with ease if needed.

The Rangers have been playing better over this recent stretch, and while they have been getting increased contributions from players like Panarin, the team’s youth has been driving play. All three players have different roles, and all three have been playing well over the last 10 games. If they can keep pace as other players become more consistent in their games, the Rangers could become more dangerous in the coming weeks.