Noah Laba, Matt Rempe ‘strong on pucks,’ draw praise from Rangers coach
New York Rangers coach Mike Sullivan likes what he sees from two of his young bottom-six forwards during the first week of training camp.
Rookie center Noah Laba and towering forward Matt Rempe drew praise from the coach on Wednesday, one day after the Rangers failed to hold a three-goal lead in the third period against the Boston Bruins and lost 5-4 in overtime at Madison Square Garden.
Laba had two assists against the Bruins, giving him three in the Rangers’ first two preseason games. The 22-year-old, who signed with the Rangers in March after three seasons at Colorado College, had three goals and five points in 11 games with Hartford of the American Hockey League in his first taste of pro hockey last spring. He figured to be a long shot to make the opening night roster, but Sullivan doesn’t sound like he’s ruling that out.
“That might be too early to have that conversation at this point,” he said when asked about Laba sticking with the Rangers out of camp. “He certainly has performed very well in this early part of camp, and we feel he’s getting better with every game he plays.
“Whether or not he makes the opening night roster, time will tell. I think it’s too early; it would be premature to weigh in on that at this point. I’m reluctant to make any sort of predictions at this point. I try to reserve judgement and let the camp unfold.”
Laba’s efforts already made an impression on one veteran teammate, defenseman Vladislav Gavrikov, who converted a feed from Laba into a short-handed goal against Boston.
“Perfect,” he said of Laba’s play so far. “He’s been grinding every single practice. I’m happy to see him performing that good.”
One thing that should help Laba’s future prospects is his size. At 6-foot-3 and 214 pounds, he brings the size down the middle that NHL teams crave.
“I think his physical stature sets him up for an opportunity to compete in the NHL,” Sullivan said. “He’s big, he’s strong and he can skate. For some players (who) are making the jump, that’s the first hurdle. I think ‘Labs’ has an NHL body in the sense that he’s big and strong and can skate. There’s a lot of other elements that go into playing in the NHL, but we’re certainly encouraged by what we’ve seen so far.”
With Mika Zibanejad moved to wing on a line centered by J.T. Miller, there’s an opening at third-line center. Is Laba a candidate for the job?
“Labs is one of them, for sure,” Sullivan said after practice. “With each game we play and each practice we have, we learn a little more about the group we have.
“I think Labs has performed extremely well. When I watched him at the rookie tournament to where he is right now, I feel like he’s taken a big, giant step with his pace of play, how quickly he thinks it.”
Laba said after Tuesday’s game that he’s settling in.
“A 200-foot game, playing both sides of the puck, trying to create time and space for my teammates and help the team win,” he replied when asked what the coaches have said they want from him. “They demand a lot, as they should. They want you to play hard in the defensive zone as well as forecheck hard, create O-zone chances and at the end of the day, shoot the puck, shoot to score.”
If there’s one thing Sullivan and his staff want to change about the Rangers from last season, it’s that they were often too easy to play against. Laba’s size and compete level have impressed the new coach.
“Last night in particular, getting his nose over pucks, creating separation on pucks in the defensive zone, down low. He has the ability to do that because he’s big and strong,” Sullivan said. “That’s an important element of being hard to play against, and the role that if you were to play on this team, that would be a welcome addition.”
Related: Why Rangers will play ‘hybrid game’ style under coach Mike Sullivan
Matt Rempe showing skill to go along with his size
Of course, when the issue of size on the Rangers is brought up, the first name mentioned is Rempe – who’s listed at 6-foot-9 and 261 pounds. Sullivan said the 23-year-old looks like a player who can be more than just a guy who drops the gloves on occasion and continues to work hard to improve his hockey skills.
“Yes,” was Sullivan’s response when asked if Rempe looks to be making himself into an all-around player. “I think he can skate. … His pace is really strong. He has a strong stride. He’s really strong on pucks. Sometimes as a bigger guy, it’s hard in the puck battles, when you’re in the battle areas, because players get underneath you – their center of gravity is lower than yours. Players can get underneath you, under your hands, things of that nature, and make it hard to protect pucks.”
Rempe didn’t dress Tuesday after picking up the lone assist on Dylan Roobroeck’s goal in a 5-3 win against the New Jersey Devils on Sunday. He worked hard on his hockey skills during the offseason, and Sullivan feels that work is paying off.
“He’s strong on pucks, he protects pucks well,” he said. “I think he has the ability to make a play. His willingness to go to the net front and battle for rebounds, make the sight lines difficult for the goaltender – all those things are invaluable to manufacture offense. I think he really has the ability to help us with momentum, just as far as controlling territory, wearing teams down, making it hard on our opponents’ defensemen in the down-low game.
“I feel he has the potential to manufacture offense with some of the game he’s played to this point. I’ve been really encouraged when I watch him play. He’s in great shape, but he’s strong and he’s strong on pucks. He’s ‘hockey strong’ – there’s a difference. He has functional strength on the ice, just with how stiff he is on pucks and in battles and using his body to protect it.”
