New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe missed most of the 2025-26 season recovering from a hand injury, and he told Mollie Walker of the New York Post on Thursday that there is “still a little work to be done” before he returns to 100 percent health.
Rempe underwent two surgeries on his hand last season, and he told Walker that he attempted to return to the Rangers lineup too early, and ended up skating in games in December where he still could not properly grip his stick as a result of the injury. Rempe’s final game of 2025-26 came in early February.
The 24-year-old forward is set to enter what is likely the most important training camp of his young career.
One of the most physically imposing forwards in the NHL thanks to his 6’9″, 261-pound frame, Rempe became something of a fan sensation on Broadway after making his debut in 2023-24.
Rempe’s ability to rattle off big hits earned him the adoration of crowds at Madison Square Garden, and his imposing physical presence even helped the club make a run to the Eastern Conference Final in his rookie year.
But while Rempe remains a fan favorite player in New York, his on-ice value is decidedly limited. Beyond his ability to deliver big hits, Rempe doesn’t bring much offensive value, or the kind of defensive value that would make him trustworthy on the penalty kill or in late-game, high-leverage situations.
While it’s easy to see why his No. 73 jersey is a popular one among fans, Rempe’s actual pathway to remaining a full-time NHL player is rather narrow. He not only needs to provide a consistent physical presence, he also needs a bit of luck – in the form of a coach that buys into the value an enforcer can bring to a modern NHL lineup.
Given how much of last season Rempe spent injured, it’s unclear whether Rangers head coach Mike Sullivan has fully bought into him as a full-time NHLer.
Rempe’s upcoming training camp is so important not only because he will need to once again prove himself to Sullivan, but he’ll also need to surpass other young Rangers forwards who are competing for the same scarce roster spots in the team’s bottom-six.
Many of those players, such as Jaroslav Chmelar and Adam Sykora, are former teammates of Rempe’s from his days with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. The Rangers’ decision to trade Adam Edstrom to the Nashville Predators this summer has lessened some of the competition Rempe will face, and the fact that he is no longer waivers-exempt will work in his favor.
But Chmelar and Sykora showed real chemistry in the final weeks of the Rangers’ season, and could be poised to build on their first taste of NHL action in training camp.
If nothing else, the way they played late in 2025-26 shows Chmelar and Sykora won’t be easy for Rempe to displace, even if neither possesses the same kind of physical traits as Rempe. Beyond Chmelar and Sykora, both Juuso Parssinen and Cole Beaudoin will also compete for a spot in Sullivan’s bottom-six.
At this stage, it’s too early to project how the team’s ultimate roster decisions will shake out. One thing is clear, though, which is that the competition between Rempe and other aspiring bottom-sixers will be a key training camp and preseason battle to watch in New York.
Photos courtesy of Brad Penner-Imagn Images