After it looked like the New York Rangers were dead in the water for 2024-25, the team has made a remarkable turnaround over the last nearly dozen games and Madison Square Garden favorite Matt Rempe continues to be a part of it.
While the Blueshirts are coming off a heart-breaking regulation loss in the final seconds against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, that shouldn’t eliminate all the progress made. Their record is 7-1-3 over the past 11 games. And what’s the common denominator? Rempe has appeared in every game over the stretch, aside from the win against the Chicago Blackhawks on Jan. 5, despite only averaging around seven minutes of ice time per game this season. Additionally, the Rempe magic dates back to his NHL debut last season. Overall, the Rangers hold a remarkable 22-5-4 record with him in the lineup in the regular season.
So is Rempe effective in his role in the limited minutes he gets or is it just a coincidence? We’ll break it down.
The Strengths of Rempe
With Rempe’s reputation around the league and how he started his career with a fight in the Stadium Series game in 2024, you would think he just fits the mold of a modern-day NHL enforcer. But that’s not entirely true. To stick around in the league today, more needs to be done than just igniting fights.
Rempe doesn’t get enough credit for his skating. Over the summer, it was reported that he worked on it with Chris Kreider every day. And it looked like it paid off. In drills during training camp, Vince Mercogliano of USA TODAY Network reported that the 6-foot-9 forward was even finishing first in straight-line testing drills.
FWIW: Matt Rempe has been finishing first in a lot of these straight-line testing drills 👀
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) September 19, 2024
The foot speed helps Rempe track down pucks in the offensive zone, which is where the strength of his game lies. The 22-year-old’s involvement in the Rangers’ first goal against the Avalanche is what he does at his best. He gets in on the forecheck, uses his frame to box opponents out in front of the net for a screen, and rotates between the slot and the back of the net to help create the goal.
Never split up Edstrom-Carrick-Rempe pic.twitter.com/4Ql4PPPvpy
— Jonny Lazarus (@JLazzy23) January 26, 2025
Sure, Rempe isn’t exactly as effective as Milan Lucic in the prime of his career in the offensive zone, but he’s far from as inept as previous enforcers the Rangers had this quarter century such as Tanner Glass and Donald Brashear.
The Downside of Rempe
On the other hand, Rempe’s hockey IQ is by far his biggest issue. This gets him in trouble in multiple areas, most obviously, discipline.
In just 31 career NHL games, Rempe has been ejected four times and suspended twice. Also, his penalty minutes (106) are more than three times the number of games he’s appeared in. There are times when the 2020 sixth-round pick struggles with basic mechanics, which includes not keeping his elbows tucked in when going for hits – leading to dangerous and undisciplined play. Other times it’s just pure recklessness like hitting players in the numbers with their faces up against the boards. That can’t continue.
Perhaps Rempe’s biggest struggle is his play away from the puck – particularly in the defensive zone. There was one shift that stuck out to me in the second period when the Rangers played the Devils on Jan. 9 (see the video below and skip to about 6:41). As you can see, Rempe is caught puck-watching and confused on the play. The result is a cross-ice pass that goes by him that leads to a dangerous scoring chance for the Devils that gets blocked in front. While the Rangers would get the puck out, Rempe goes off for a change and the Devils would come down the ice and score. That sequence pretty much sums up all of Rempe’s weaknesses.
Maybe we spare the big man a break during that particular shift since it looked like he was tired and out there a while, but the poor defensive awareness has been a recurring theme rather than a one-off situation. He’s constantly out of position and isn’t a great defender. Among Rangers forwards this season, Rempe ranks third worst in high-danger chances for at 44.74 percent, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Rangers Fans Should Enjoy the Ride
While Rempe is far from a perfect player, Rangers fans should enjoy the winning streak he’s been a part of. While there’s some skill on the ice, and the fourth line has been one of the team’s strengths this season, Rempe has given the Blueshirts more of a cultural boost.
The fans obviously adore him by chanting his name when he steps on the ice or lays a hit in the corner. It’s because he brings something different – and that’s the appeal of a modern-day enforcer. Not everybody is 6-foot-9 and is willing to bang bodies around.
But you do have to wonder how much longer head coach Peter Laviolette will stick with him if the Rangers start to lose games, which is bound to happen. It’s obvious coaches don’t trust him late in important games due to his undisciplinary nature and poor defensive awareness. It looks like Rempe could use more time in the AHL and needs more coaching. The player still looks like an unfinished product.
So we’ll have to see if Rempe can get his game rounded out enough to turn himself into a quality fourth-line player. More than anything else right now, it appears that he’s providing the Rangers with a cultural spark. While the uniqueness is standing out, his play on the ice tilts more toward a liability and leaves more to be desired. Rempe feels similar to Ryan Reaves when his personality took over the Rangers locker room as soon as he arrived in New York and helped them find their winning touch and get back into the postseason. Rempe could be on the same path where he’s only needed temporarily. But that’s a conversation for later. For now, enjoy the vibes, while hoping the Rangers can keep winning.
