Rangers Relying Heavily on Noah Laba in 2026-27

Laba did not produce big numbers offensively, but he was consistent, finishing with nine goals, 15 assists, 110 hits, and 43 blocked shots in 74 games while averaging 13:28 in ice time per game. He drove to the front of the net, got to rebounds, and deflected shots from the point. He also showed promise as a penalty killer late in the season, and he held his own on faceoffs, winning 50.8 percent of them.

Important Role This Season

Laba will likely remain the Rangers’ third-line center and could start the season with Will Cuylle and Eeli Tolvanen as his wingers. All three are capable of contributing offensively, while playing with physicality and defending well.

The Rangers lacked forward depth last season and relied heavily on their top line to produce offensively, but the addition of wingers Pavel Dorofeyev, Oliver Bjorkstrand, and Tolvanen should give them more depth and a more balanced lineup. That could lead to more ice time for Laba’s line, and their ability to defend well could also help them get ice time against opponents’ top lines in a shutdown role.

Last season, the Rangers had three talented veteran centers in Mika Zibanejad, J.T. Miller, and Trocheck, so when Miller struggled, they were able to move him to winger. That will not be the case this season, so if Miller or Zibanejad misses time or one of them struggles, Laba would likely move into the top-six.

Laba is already reliable defensively, and the hope is that he will continue to develop offensively and capitalize on his scoring chances. Miller and Zibanejad will likely both start the season on the Rangers’ top power-play unit, so Laba could get a chance to play on the second power-play unit. He did not spend much time on the power play last season but still had three goals and two assists on the man advantage.

A Big Opportunity This Season

The Rangers have added a lot of key pieces throughout their lineup to try to improve, but they lost depth at center. They will have to rely more heavily on Laba, but it also creates an opportunity for him to establish himself as one of their top centers and a player that they can build around for years to come.