Noah Laba and Brennan Othmann couldn’t be much further apart in their current standing with the New York Rangers. Where one young forward is a pleasant surprise and NHL regular, the other is seeking to earn trust and rebuild his game in the minor leagues.
The difference between the 22-year-olds right now is striking. Laba, a 2022 fourth-round draft pick, scored his first two NHL goals this past week and earned a promotion into the top six on the just-completed road trip to western Canada and Seattle. Othmann spent the past week in the NHL and played one game after Matt Rempe landed on IR with an upper-body injury.