The New York Rangers finally brought an end to their skid on Tuesday night, as they defeated the Vancouver Canucks 2-0. It was far from easy, as the Rangers had to hold onto their lead desperately through the end of the third period. But, they will take the win.
While the attention was mostly focused on J.T. Miller's return to Vancouver after last season's trade, Rangers fans may have missed a key injury update on Matt Rempe. New York's huge enforcer has been sidelined with an upper body injury after getting into a fight with Ryan Reaves of the San Jose Sharks on Oct. 23. The expectation was that Rempe could return during their current road trip. Instead, he will be out for much longer.
Hours before puck drop on Tuesday, Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan said that Rempe is dealing with a longer term injury. The Athletic's Vince Mercogliano revealed some clarity he received on Rempe's injury timeline. Mercogliano says Rempe could be "out for multiple weeks, if not months," and that he's not expecting him to return until later in the season.
Got a little clarity on the Matt Rempe injury. My understanding is that he’ll be out for multiple weeks, if not months. It’s not considered season-ending but I’m not expecting a return until some point later in the season. #NYR
— Vince Z. Mercogliano (@vzmercogliano) October 28, 2025
Matt Rempe's long-term injury puts Rangers depth to the test
This isn't great news for the Rangers. Rempe does provide the team with the toughness factor, but he does have the ability to generate scoring opportunities. So losing him for a huge chunk of the season is a signficant loss for a Rangers team whose forward dept is not necessarily the greatest.
The Rangers may have Vincent Trochek returning soon, as he recovers from an upper body injury suffered in the second game of the season. Trocheck has been spotted skating at Rangers practice, and he is eligible to come off of the long term injured reserve (LTIR) at the end of their current road trip. Getting Trocheck back will be huge for the Rangers.
In Rempe's absence, the Rangers called up Brennan Othmann, who was an early cut in training camp. Othmann has been the subject of trade reports as he seemingly lost his role in the organization. He played in the team's game this past Sunday against the Calgary Flames, but he was a scratch for Tuesday's game against the Canucks.
Does Sullivan potentially use Rempe's extended absence to call up another one of their young prospects like Gabriel Perreault and Brett Berard? It will remain to be seen. The Rangers will have to find some sort of solution.