The New York Rangers’ season has been filled with growing pains, and on Saturday night, they took another hit-this time, quite literally. Rookie forward Noah Laba exited the game against the Pittsburgh Penguins with an upper-body injury and did not return.
The injury occurred midway through the first period when Laba went hard into the boards. He looked visibly shaken as he made his way to the bench before heading straight to the dressing room. The team later confirmed he wouldn’t be back for the remainder of the game.
This marks the second time this season Laba has been sidelined with an upper-body issue. Earlier in the year, he missed three games after absorbing a heavy hit from Capitals forward Tom Wilson on New Year’s Eve. For a rookie trying to find his footing in the NHL, it’s been a tough stretch of physical setbacks.
Laba, 22, has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise tough campaign for the Rangers. In 52 games, he’s posted six goals and 10 assists-solid numbers for a first-year player still adjusting to the speed and grind of the NHL. He’s shown flashes of the two-way game that made him a standout at Colorado College, where he steadily developed into a reliable offensive contributor.
The Rangers originally selected Laba in the fourth round of the 2022 NHL Draft after a strong run in the USHL. He then spent three seasons at Colorado College, where his junior year in 2023-24 stood out-20 goals, 17 assists, and a point-per-game pace in 36 appearances.
That season helped put him firmly on New York’s radar as a legitimate prospect. He followed up with a 26-point effort in 29 games last season before making the jump to the pro ranks with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack, where he added five points in 11 games.
Now in the NHL, Laba has been earning minutes and trust, even as the Rangers navigate a season that’s shifted into evaluation mode. With the team already leaning into a seller’s mindset, the focus has turned toward the future-and players like Laba are a big part of that.
His latest injury is a setback, no doubt, but it doesn’t change the trajectory he’s on. Laba has already shown he belongs in the league. The hope now is that the injury isn’t serious and that he’ll be back soon to continue his development in what’s become a critical stretch for New York’s young core.