Does a Skyscraping 24-Year-Old Ranger Forward Have a Part to Play in the 26-27 Season?
The NHL may say the Rangers' 25-26 season didn’t go the way anyone expected, but come on, the Rangers no doubt knew exactly what last season was looking like. A few surprises from their roster, but most of their lineup went through abysmal seasons, forcing them to start cleaning up shop. The moves were made to fix the future of these Blueshirts, but a certain fan favorite, or perhaps once fan favorite, may not have any part of it. Missing much of the 25-26 season with a broken thumb and looking to get back on the ice at MSG, does Matt Rempe have a part to play?
Making his NHL debut in an outdoor game more than two years ago, Rempe instantly became a fan favorite after dropping the gloves with veteran Matt Martin in the 2024 Stadium Series. It didn’t stop there, though, as he showed off his size and strength against the New Jersey Devils just four days later, though not in a positive way, as it resulted in a game misconduct. Their next matchup against New Jersey was almost the same thing, only this one came with a four-game suspension for elbowing defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler. Though the size puts him at a disadvantage when checking, the 24-year-old showed he still had much to learn, but that didn’t stop the fans from chanting his name at MSG. A few months of hard work later, the skyscraping forward earned a spot in the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs, scoring the first goal for the Blueshirts and flooding all of Madison Square Garden with Rempe chants. One trip to the Eastern Conference Finals later, and fans looked forward to seeing the development of who some called a future menace in the NHL. That was two years ago, though, and going through this offseason, it looks like some people were mistaken.
A 23-24 season to remember, but can the same really be said about 24-25? The whole team, of course, shares the blame, as it was an altogether regression from the New York Rangers, but was Rempe anywhere near as noticeable compared to a season earlier? In 42 games, the power forward recorded three goals and five assists, with a plus-seven plus-minus rating. If we’re looking for positives, the fourth line consisting of him, Sam Carrick, and Adam Edström surprised plenty. Still, a few unnecessary penalties have begun to make fans reconsider their tallest player. His most recent suspension, a boarding and elbowing call on Dallas defenseman Miro Heiskanen, took Rempe out for eight games and without pay, a severe punishment that only gets enforced against repeat offenders like himself. A season later, and while there were no suspensions that year, a goal and no assists in 26 games convinced quite a few fans that the power forward may not have a part to play in this retool.
Heading into the 26-27 season, Rempe made it clear he’s extremely motivated to get back out there after a broken thumb ended his 25-26 season early. Faced with a big training camp coming up, the six-foot-nine forward wants to show he still belongs in the NHL, but that’s looking like a big ol pipe dream after this roster rebrand. Looking to return to playoff contention as quickly as they can, the Blueshirts can't afford the reputation the kid has so far of causing dumb penalties. Unless a major spark is needed from a physical presence, it looks like Rempe will have to get comfortable with a few other prospects down in Hartford, as he may be there for a long while, only to be brought up when he can prove he’s ready. A pivotal training camp approaches for the big boy; can he prove he can still hop on the ice in MSG, or have the fans had enough of the ‘Rempire State Building’?
