Draft R4 #111: Rangers select C Noah Laba (Lincoln Stars, USHL)

[EdJovanovski]

Lmao

 

[SnowblindNYR]

Any time someone says someone's an "outstanding young man" you know he sucks.

 

[Savant]

Any time someone says someone's an "outstanding young man" you know he sucks.

He’s got a great personality

 

[FireGerardGallant]

Seems like the plan this year is "we have our stars, let's get cheap depth" which is cool and nothing could go wrong.

Their first two picks seem really good though, especially Sykora

 

[duhmetreE]

Who is Michael?

forgot to add the link

it's from 2020. Lincoln Stars Headcoach/GM Chris Michael.

NOAH LABA COMMITS TO COLGATE UNIVERSITY

ROOKIE FORWARD HAS TWO GOALS, ONE ASSIST IN FOUR GAMES THIS SEASON

www.lincolnstars.com

 

[Shesty31]

9 goals in his last 10 games, scored only 15 all year. So maybe they liked what they saw at the end of the season? Seems like a guy we could have gotten later but it’s fine I suppose.

 

[Lion Hound]

Redline and Blackbook don't have this player ranked.

 

[redwhiteandblue]

9 goals in his last 10 games, scored only 15 all year. So maybe they liked what they saw at the end of the season? Seems like a guy we could have gotten later but it’s fine I suppose.

I feel like these are the exact kind of things that are needle movers. You notice the kid a lot, he's not 'the best' player but a puck magnet, not afraid to play in tough areas, willing to get in someone's face and toss em.... and best of all as the year ends he pots 9 in 10? I love stuff like that, I think scouts do too obviously, and that's what the great ones find.

If this kid was going to end up being a, lets say, poor man's Tom Wilson... an uptick in scoring before moving to a higher level is a good sign obviously. I love this as far as a mid-round shot goes.

 

[The Crypto Guy]

Eh, 4th round pick. I'm glad they seemed to really nail the 2nd and 3rd picks so I'm OK with this. Lets see how the big guy does in the NCAA next year.

 

[redwhiteandblue]

Also, I'm sure some people hate it, but I'm a fan of this being an out-of-the-blue pick. No ranking? Cool, guy flames out like most 4th rounders or we have a scouting staff that can get out there and find a gem that fits their mold.

 

[Mugless]

Highlight at 1:12 mark.

 

[Gardner McKay]

I think they drafted a goon in the 4th round as if this were 1995

They drafted one 10th overall in 2010.

 

[djzbad]

Looking forward to tracking Noah’s arc

 

[Thirty One]

They drafted one 10th overall in 2010.

And I was having a nice day.

 

[Kakko Schmakko]

Was this the mandatory waste of a pick on an overager bust that wasn't even ranked? Terrible pick

 

[NYSPORTS]

Hope we trade him for a left wing

 

[Lion Hound]

Im guessing Ortmeyer had something to do with this? He lived there for a while. I believe he's still in the Player development role with NYR. Probably has a lot of ties to the Lincoln Team.

 

[Machinehead]

Their first two picks seem really good though, especially Sykora

The theme seems to be "they do this and that but the offense needs to go up a level" and it usually doesn't. Every kid that gets drafted is playing in a league that's pretty shit compared to the NHL, obviously. If they had potential NHL offense, they'd be doing it now.

Mostly likely, you're drafting for role players when you see reports like that. Most role players are scorers until they're not and have to adapt. Dan Girardi was a goal-scoring winger until he was a defenseman. That's teachable, while offensive skill tends to be natural. You can always turn a failed scorer into a solid bottom six option so why not get the upside also?

Guys who lack offense at lower levels tend to have flaws that prevent them from even being bottom sixers in the NHL.

There's a lot of luck to it after the first round of course and we'll have to see who it goes, but "sort by points and take the name at the top" will do better than the average front office.

 

[Thirty One]

Dan Girardi was a goal-scoring winger until he was a defenseman.

When? Not as far back as his Elite Prospects page goes (U15). When he was a literal child?

 

[TheBPA]

The theme seems to be "they do this and that but the offense needs to go up a level" and it usually doesn't. Every kid that gets drafted is playing in a league that's pretty shit compared to the NHL, obviously. If they had potential NHL offense, they'd be doing it now.

Mostly likely, you're drafting for role players when you see reports like that. Most role players are scorers until they're not and have to adapt. Dan Girardi was a goal-scoring winger until he was a defenseman. That's teachable, while offensive skill tends to be natural. You can always turn a failed scorer into a solid bottom six option so why not get the upside also?

Guys who lack offense at lower levels tend to have flaws that prevent them from even being bottom sixers in the NHL.

There's a lot of luck to it after the first round of course and we'll have to see who it goes, but "sort by points and take the name at the top" will do better than the average front office.

Not so sure about that and would need to see some numbers to support that case. More often than not you end up drafting perimeter guys who might be able to beat junior goalies from distance, or thread the needle through garbage defense, when that is never happening at the NHL level.

Michael St. Croix and Shane McColgan say hello.

 

[Machinehead]

They drafted one 10th overall in 2010.

They drafted one 7th overall in 2017 except hold the fighting and he's even less talented.

 

[Machinehead]

Not so sure about that and would need to see some numbers to support that case. More often than not you end up drafting perimeter guys who might be able to beat junior goalies from distance, or thread the needle through garbage defense, when that is never happening at the NHL level.

Michael St. Croix and Shane McColgan say hello.

The vast majority of NHL 4th liners being PPG players in the CHL also say hello.

Barclay Goodrow was a star 1C on an OHL team that reached the Finals.

When? Not as far back as his Elite Prospects page goes (U15). When he was a literal child?

Yes and then he was an offensive defenseman in the OHL. The Dan Girardi we know happened in the NHL. If you have to be a high-motor defensive guy at lower levels, you're not any good.

 

[TheBPA]

The vast majority of NHL 4th liners being PPG players in the CHL also say hello.

Barclay Goodrow was a star 1C on an OHL team that reached the Finals.

Ok...and Tanner Jeannot scored 1 goal his first year in the CHL.

I mean yeah, all things being equal, you take the guy who scores more. But all things aren't equal...that's what scouting is for.

 

[B17 Apricots]

The theme seems to be "they do this and that but the offense needs to go up a level" and it usually doesn't. Every kid that gets drafted is playing in a league that's pretty shit compared to the NHL, obviously. If they had potential NHL offense, they'd be doing it now.

Mostly likely, you're drafting for role players when you see reports like that. Most role players are scorers until they're not and have to adapt. Dan Girardi was a goal-scoring winger until he was a defenseman. That's teachable, while offensive skill tends to be natural. You can always turn a failed scorer into a solid bottom six option so why not get the upside also?

Guys who lack offense at lower levels tend to have flaws that prevent them from even being bottom sixers in the NHL.

There's a lot of luck to it after the first round of course and we'll have to see who it goes, but "sort by points and take the name at the top" will do better than the average front office.

Absolutely agree with this.. its rare that a guy makes the NHL who didn't dominate or at least excel above his peers early on. There was a number of interesting overagers taken already, including in that 4th round. We chose the guy who the entire world didn't bother to rank. Conor Garland went in the 5th round a few years ago and that seemed like such a no brainer.. its not always going to work out, but why wouldn't you take the guy that's dominating at this level over the guy that has yet to do so

 

[Machinehead]

Ok...and Tanner Jeannot scored 1 goal his first year in the CHL.

I mean yeah, all things being equal, you take the guy who scores more. But all things aren't equal...that's what scouting is for.

Tanner Jeannot who went undrafted??

Kind of illustrates my point.