Dennis Schneidler-Imagn ImagesNoah Laba could be in for an increased role with the New York Rangers going into his second NHL season.
The departure of Vincent Trocheck leaves an opening for Laba to take on more responsibilities.
The 23-year-old forward was a relatively unknown commodity in training camp, but he quickly made a name for himself and earned a spot on the Rangers’ opening-night roster.
In his rookie campaign, Laba mostly played as a third-line center, recording 9 goals, 15 assists, and 24 points in 74 games while averaging 13:28 minutes per game.
Over the course of the season, Mike Sullivan built more trust in Laba, which allowed him to take on more of a two-way role in which he served a role on the penalty kill and was on the ice for some late-game situations.
This upcoming season, Sullivan wants to expand Laba’s defensive game and continue to put him in situations where he can thrive, while also hoping for him to take an offensive leap.
"I think he has good size, he can really skate and I think he has an aptitude for the game," Sullivan said of Laba via NHL.com. "We liked the progress that he made in particular on the defensive side.
“I do think there's an offensive dimension to his game that he can continue to evolve and build, but certainly we're going to rely on putting him in defensive situations, difficult situations against other team's best players, and we think he's a guy that can handle that."
Laba is expected to take on the third-line center role once again, with a possibility of slotting in as the second-line center if Sullivan chooses to play either J.T. Miller or Mika Zibanejad at the wing.
