There is plenty that can be said about the New York Rangers' 7-6-1 start to the 2026-27 season, but one decision that has been glaringly consistent is their usage, or lack thereof, of Matt Rempe.
It has become abundantly clear that Rempe is not in Mike Sullivan’s immediate plans, let alone the organization's long-term post Letter 2.0 blueprint. If the reported trade interest in the 24-year-old heavyweight is genuine, President and General Manager Chris Drury should jump at the opportunity to make a deal.
According to Sportsnet insider Frank Seravalli, Edmonton Oilers head coach Mike Babcock has campaigned internally for general manager Stan Bowman to add tougheness to his forward group. One name Edmonton is believed to admire is the Blueshirts’ 6'9", 268-pound bruiser. With Edmonton slated to visit Madison Square Garden on Sunday, the timing of the rumor could not be more fascinating.
The press box reality under Mike Sullivan
Through 14 games this season, Rempe has dressed just twice. His last outing came on October 13 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, where he skated a minuscule six shifts totaling 3:43 of ice time. Even when Rempe broke into the lineup last season, he was routinely stapled to the bench for entire third periods. Sullivan simply does not trust him in tight, high-leverage 5v5 situations.
Comments from earlier this month signaled the direction of the depth chart when Sullivan openly contrasted Rempe with rookie Jaroslav Chmelař:
"Remps is a different type of player than Jaro. They're both valuable players for our team, they're just different players. I've had conversations with both of those guys around that and the lineup decisions that we'll make moving forward. Going in against a Tampa team, we thought it was a better fit for Jaro."
Since those comments, Chmelař was reassigned to Hartford, but Rempe never grabbed a larger role. Instead, Drury signed 37-year-old Luke Glendening off the street and recalled Taylor Raddysh from the AHL, both of whom immediately leapfrogged Rempe for fourth-line minutes.
Rempe's story is remarkably impressive
The Rempe phenomenon began in February 2024 when he dropped the gloves with Matt Martin on his very first NHL shift at the MetLife Stadium Stadium Series outdoor game, becoming an overnight media sensation.
He appeared in 42 games during the 2024-25 season, chipping in eight points and 67 penalty minutes. Injuries limited him to 26 games last year, and this fall he has been an almost permanent fixture in the Madison Square Garden press box.
Regardless of where you stand on enforcers and/or fighting in hockey, what Rempe has achieved is undeniably impressive. Drafted in the sixth round (165th overall) in 2020, he defied the odds to skate in 87 NHL games and score five goals. Countless players drafted rounds ahead of him never step onto the ice for a shift, let alone register an NHL point. Rempe worked relentlessly on his skating and puck skills every summer, and he deserves credit for attempting to maximize his raw tools.
Chris Drury should take what he can get
Nobody is expecting Rempe to play a Marty McSorley role riding shotgun alongside Connor McDavid on Edmonton's top line. But Babcock loves old-school truculence on his checking line, and Edmonton's current bottom six lacks true physical deterrence. In addition to that, a trade to the Oilers would bring the Calgary native right back to his home province of Alberta.
For the Rangers, holding onto a player their head coach refuses to deploy is bad asset management. The Rangers have enough of that by rostering, and not playing, Scott Morrow as it is.
If Bowman and the Oilers are genuinely willing to offer something for Rempe, Drury should sign off on a deal and send Rempe on his merry way. A trade would clear a roster spot, net the Rangers a potential lottery ticket asset for a player drafted with a late sixth round pick, and give Rempe a fresh opportunity to play meaningful hockey rather than watching his career wither away in the press box. In many ways it is a win for everyone involved, and it will be interesting to see where things go from here.
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