Noah Laba focusing on the positives of goalless Rangers campaign

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Noah Laba has felt both the pros and cons of entering his sophomore campaign in the NHL with a whole season under his belt. In some ways, he’s felt more comfortable.Playing in 74 of 82 games last season (missing eight contests due to injury), Laba gained the full NHL experience as a lineup regular three years after the Rangers drafted him in the fourth round at 111th overall.  Join Post Sports+ for exciting subscriber-only features, including real-time texting with Mollie Walker about the inside buzz on the Rangers.

With that, however, has also come a shift in expectations. Learning how to play to those loftier demands is a work in progress for Laba, who has just five assists through 20 games.The 23-year-old center is still searching for his first goal of the season, which has undoubtedly weighed on Laba and affected his overall game to start the 2026-27 season. “I think it’s tough when you don’t get that one out of the way,” Laba told The Post after practice Thursday at Rogers Arena.

“Kind of can take over your head sometimes.But, you know, just try to manage that and continue to work hard and try to play the best I can.” Describing his season thus far as “some ups and downs,” the 6-foot-3, 218-pounder said he’s still trying to get to the level he believes he needs to achieve. Though his offensive game has lacked, Laba has taken pride in the penalty kill as his role has grown since last year. The Michigan native highlighted the PK’s ability to defend the entry, in addition to its commitment to blocking shots and pressuring the puck at all times.

Averaging 1:52 of short-handed ice time, Laba is among the top five active players on the team. Joseph Veleno, who is on long-term injured reserve with a lower-body injury, still technically leads the team with a short-handed ice time average of 2:40 with four games played this season. Mike Sullivan has deployed Laba primarily as his third-line center,...