With the way the season has gone for the New York Rangers, they have turned to playing their youth throughout the lineup. While it has been exciting to watch these younger players get a chance, one who hasn’t really had a chance this season is Matt Rempe. While it’s not his fault that he has been injured most of the season, his absence has given way for other players to step up. With many younger players fighting for future roster spots going forward, the question now becomes, does Rempe have a future in New York?
The “RempeMania” Hype Died Very Quickly
Rempe arrived in New York with a bang, as he got into a fight with Matt Martin during his first shift at the 2024 NHL Stadium Series. From that moment on, he became a key fixture in the Rangers’ lineup, and while he didn’t get much ice time, fans were excited to see him whenever he got on the ice, as he would lay big hits and get into fights. He even scored the first goal of the playoffs for the team that season. However, as quickly as he became a fan favorite, the hype around Rempe went away.
While he is still a fan favorite, it became clear that he was not a very good hockey player. While he brings size and physical play, he does not have any offensive upside, and he can not play well in his own zone. This has led to him being sent back down to the American Hockey League, and he’s even been a healthy scratch at times during his tenure in New York. Rempe is just not that good of a hockey player, and while he has taken steps to improve his game, the Rangers have other players who can provide more to the lineup, and their skills are more important to have than Rempe’s size.
Rempe’s Injury This Season Was the Worst-Case Scenario for Him
Rempe played in the first nine games of the season, and during that ninth game, he got into a fight with Ryan Reaves of the San Jose Sharks. During the fight, Rempe broke his finger, and from that point on, he hasn’t been the same player. He played in 17 more games after coming back from the injury, but it was clear that he wasn’t 100%, and if he can’t hit or fight, there was no point in having him in the lineup. After the Olympic break, it was announced that he would likely be out for the rest of the season to try to rehab his hand injury, and this opened up a spot in the lineup that younger players have gotten and taken advantage of.
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The Rangers have had plenty of younger players come in and show some potential since the Olympic break. These players have shown that they could be key parts of the bottom-six going forward, and that means they could take Rempe’s place in the lineup permanently. Some of the names to watch going forward are Tye Kartye, Adam Sykora, Jaroslav Chmelar, and even Adam Edstrom. These players have brought speed, skill, scoring, and size to a bottom-six that has been lacking those attributes. While Rempe has his own skills that he can bring, these players provide more and have a higher upside than he does at this point.
What Does the Future Hold for Rempe in New York?
So, the big question now is what the future for Rempe looks like in New York, or does he even have a future with the Rangers? He still has one more year on his contract that pays him $975,000, so the Rangers could just opt to keep him around at that cheap price. They can’t put him on waivers, as he would be at risk of being claimed by another team, so they could look to trade him this offseason if they don’t see a future in which he is consistently playing in the bottom-six. While they wouldn’t get much back, it would be better for them and for him to move to another team and get a shot somewhere else rather than sitting in the press box most nights.
If he does stay around going into next season, maybe he comes into camp showing that he has improved, and maybe he earns a shot to start next season on the fourth line. However, the Rangers have other players with higher upsides than Rempe, and those players should be getting playing time on a retooling team. At this point, it would be better to move on from a player who has shown little improvement and get some kind of asset for him when you have other players already proving they are better than what Rempe brings.
When Rempe first arrived in New York, many thought he could have a bright future with the team as a new fourth-line force. However, over two years later, he has yet to prove that he is anything other than a big guy who can hit. With his injury this season and other players stepping up while he’s been out, it might be best for both sides to move on this offseason so he can get a fresh start somewhere else. Because right now, he does not have a future with the Rangers going forward.
