The New York Rangers defeated a really good Montreal Canadiens team on the road, in a comeback win, Saturday, 4-3. There were some Blueshirts that finally got their season started, like Artemi Panarin with a four-point explosion, and others that played a really sound game.
Although not having a direct impact on the game itself, there was one player who has continued to tack on to his very successful season thus far in 2025-26. Rangers fans should be very happy with this fourth-liner, who is slowly rebranding himself as more than a bruiser that sits on speed dial with the Department of Player Safety.
That player is Matt Rempe. Let's talk about how he has been so effective, and what it means for the Rangers throughout the rest of this season.
Strategic aggression
Rempe has been a very effective player for the Ranges throughout their first seven games of the year. He has been aggressive, but smart enough not to get himself in too much trouble with the "law" on the ice. That has directly benefited the Blueshirts, as they can rely on him being available without that pending phone call from the league for a suspendable hit or play.
With an average of over 11 minutes of ice time per game, head coach Mike Sullivan has a lot of confidence in that fourth-line unit. Large in part due to Rempe being a positive figure for the first time in his young career.
Rempe has only sat in the penalty box one time this season, and that was on a roughing call in the third period of the most recent win against Montreal. Up until that point, he had been perfect on the season, while delivering a team-leading 26 hits.
How can Rangers benefit?
The fourth line featuring Rempe, Adam Edstrom, and Sam Carrick has been very lucrative this season. Their success has given the top-six in particular some much-needed space in their shift totals, and gives coach Sullivan a chance to roll the lines a bit more than in years past.
Rempe used to be a player who would try to create chaos to disrupt the game. In the past, it had worked to a degree, but the possibility of being called for a penalty, or worse, suspended due to these actions, created more of a disadvantage for the Rangers.
Now, the Rangers can benefit from the much smarter and much more balanced play from Rempe. With a goal on the year already, there is plenty of time for him to gain momentum and possibly hit a new career-high this season.