The New York Rangers just extended Matt Rempe to a two-year contract worth $975,000 per year. We will go over the positives and the negatives of this signing, and what this means for the Rangers organization going forward.
The Positives
The biggest positive of this signing is that this keeps one of the Rangers’ most beloved fan favorites in New York. Rempe is absolutely adored by the fans, and rightfully so. As a rookie in the 2023-24 season, he instantly made his presence felt. Not just with his size, but also with his style of play and physicality. Coming in at an astounding 6-foot-9 and 255 pounds, he plays with a style rarely seen in today’s NHL. Think of a combination of Zdeno Chara’s height and Dustin Byfuglien’s willingness to throw the body. With bone-crushing hits and an old-school mentality, Rempe won over many fans with his style of play. But it wasn’t just his toughness that won Rangers fans over; it was his heart and willingness to defend his teammates that made him a sensation seemingly overnight.
Although Rempe’s game is still developing, there is a lot of untapped potential in the Calgary native. The two-year extension shows that the Rangers see value in keeping him on the ice and in the locker room. For a team that may be leaning towards a short rebuild, keeping him around to energize the team and the fanbase is definitely the right move.
The Negatives
While the physicality and energy are undeniable when it comes to Rempe, his aggressive style of play makes him more of a liability than an asset. For every thunderous hit he produces, there’s usually an unnecessary elbow or a reckless check that follows. In just 59 career NHL games, he has already served two suspensions. First, in March 2024, he was given a four-game ban for elbowing Devils defenseman Jonas Siegenthaler in the head. Then, in December 2024, he delivered a completely uncalled-for check right in Miro Heiskanen’s back. That gave him a whopping eight-game suspension, as well as a hefty fine of $80,000.
The suspensions only tell part of the story of Rempe crossing the line when it comes to physicality. He has accumulated 138 penalty minutes in his short tenure with the Rangers. What’s even more outrageous is that in his rookie season, he had a mind-boggling 71 penalty minutes in just 17 games. That’s the type of stat you think an old-school enforcer from the late 80s and early 90s has, not a 22-year-old born in 2002.
The biggest issue is, there’s not nearly enough offensive production out of Rempe to balance out the chaos he brings. If he was putting up at least 30 points a season, I don’t think anyone would mind the suspensions and the penalties. But with a measly two points in 17 games as a rookie, and an even worse eight points in 42 games this past season, the offense is just non-existent. At this moment, the Rangers have just re-signed a player who spends just as much time in the penalty box, or in Hartford with the Wolf Pack, as he does making a positive impact on the ice.
Fans absolutely adore Rempe for his grit, tenacity, and energy that he brings day in and day out. But this is the NHL, not the UFC. The Rangers need some production out of Rempe, otherwise this deal does not make sense at all.
Implications for the Rangers
With the Rangers potentially gearing up for a retool after their disastrous 2024-25 season, keeping a fan favorite is a smart, low-risk move. Yes, Rempe absolutely needs to improve his offensive production. Yes, he needs to stay out of the penalty box for longer than five minutes. Yes, he needs to find a permanent spot in the NHL because going down to the American Hockey League (AHL) for longer than a conditioning stint at this point may just mean his NHL career is over. But, how many other teams in the NHL have a 6-foot-9 wrecking ball who is willing to drop the gloves with just about anyone in the league?
At just $975,000 per year, the Rangers aren’t taking a huge financial gamble. They’re betting that they can develop Rempe into something more than a pair of fists and some big hits. Yes, the negatives do outweigh the positives when it comes to Rempe. But, for less than a million dollars per year over two years, I think this extension makes sense. It keeps a fan favorite on Broadway, keeps the locker room filled with energy, and gives the Rangers a chance to develop Rempe into a modern-day enforcer in the NHL.
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