Why NY Rangers Breakout Player Might Be a Surprise

Mar 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; A New York Rangers flag is seen in the crown during the first period against the Edmonton Oilers at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Danny Wild-Imagn Images IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Why NY Rangers Breakout Player Might Be a Surprise

Originally posted on New York Rangers On SI
By Nick Ziegler | Last updated Sep 6, 2026 3:00 PM ET

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The New York Rangers are getting set for the start of the season at the end of the month, and expectations will be higher than they were last year.

Following a last-place finish in the Eastern Conference, the pressure will be on to be a better team. This summer, the Rangers were very aggressive in their pursuit of talent to improve.

Chris Drury made it clear that the team was going to be retooling and not rebuilding this summer, and that was certainly the case. New York got really aggressive on the trade market with a lot of moves to try and help the team not only for this coming season, but in the future as well.

Finding that balance between being a contender and building toward the future is never easy, but Drury seemingly did a nice job. While there is still work to be done, the Rangers are heading in the right direction.

As they start to prepare for the season, one young player who the team will be hoping to see take a nice step forward is center Noah Laba.

Why Laba Can Be Surprise Breakout Star

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While there is no shortage of attention going to players like Gabe Perreault and Alexis Lafreniere in the top six as potential breakout players for New York, it could end up being Laba who takes the honors.

With the trading of Vincent Trocheck this summer, it will be Laba as the third-line center for seemingly the entire year. This is a position that has a lot of concerns for the team.

The development of Laba is going to be very important, especially with options behind him fairly limited. As a rookie last year, he totaled 24 points on nine goals and 15 assists.

This season, the talent on the wing for the third line is looking pretty good after the addition of Eeli Tolvanen. The 27-year-old was recently signed and will be a good two-way player for the Rangers.

On the left side of Laba will likely be Will Cuylle. He is also a young player, but with 20 goals in back-to-back seasons, he could help fill out what is shaping up to be a strong third line.

With some good talent around him and some encouraging signs from his rookie season, there is reason to believe that Laba could be a breakout player for the team. If he can take that type of step forward, it would be a major boost for the Rangers.

This article first appeared on New York Rangers On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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