Talk around Matt Rempe’s future with the Rangers is getting louder, and waivers are now very much part of the conversation.
Rempe was one of the few players in last night’s preseason game who already had NHL experience, which stood out because the lineup was otherwise mostly made up of players headed for the AHL. He and Scott Morrow are both waiver-eligible, and both appear to be on the outside looking in. At this point, waiving Rempe looks like a real possibility, even if it would be a difficult one for the Rangers to make.
There is still a case for keeping him. Rempe is cheap, under team control, and well liked in the room.
He has also started taking on more of a leadership role with some of the newcomers. When healthy, he can move better than people expect for a player his size, and he has shown he can be an effective forechecker and a nuisance on the fourth line.
But the downside is hard to ignore. Rempe has played only 85 games across three seasons, including just 26 last year.
His broken hand last season was mismanaged by the Blueshirts, but the larger issue is availability. Evolving-Hockey views him as essentially a replacement-level player, and the Rangers’ best stretch with him came in 2024, when he flashed real value in a limited role.
Last season, he finished with 3-5-8 in 42 games, while still offering some forechecking pressure and a bit of defensive responsibility when he was right.
The argument for moving on starts with what Rempe looked like in the preseason game. He appeared very slow, and even with the caveat that the Rangers dressed a roster heavy on AHL-bound players, the Devils rolled out their NHL lineup and Rempe still couldn’t keep pace.
That matters. New York has players with higher ceilings, more reliability in all three zones, and none of the baggage that has followed Rempe.
His reputation has been a factor too. The role Peter Laviolette put him in turned him into more of a sideshow than a hockey player, and that may have left a lasting mark. The source material points to a clear bias from officials that followed him after that period, and while that was two years ago, it remains part of the conversation around him.
There’s also the risk of losing him for nothing. If the Rangers waive Rempe, another team could easily take a shot on him and hope to recreate the spark he once provided.
The examples of Jarred Tinordi and Mason Geersten being claimed off waivers by Chicago and New Jersey, respectively, are part of that concern. Rempe is 24 and still has NHL-caliber tools, which makes him exactly the kind of player someone else might try to grab.
Roster math may end up deciding it all. Adam Sykora’s injury last night, if it isn’t serious, could open one depth spot, but Rempe is still battling Jaro Chmelar, Tye Kartye, and Taylor Raddysh for fourth-line wing minutes. Only two can play, and with Scott Morrow and Matthew Robertson also in the mix on defense, one of those players seems likely to be waived.
Raddysh was not good last season, but he has historically been the better player. Unless he’s traded, there may simply not be room for Rempe. Cole Beaudoin getting reps with the NHL regulars only adds to the squeeze, especially with Joe Veleno positioned as a steady 13F and space center if Beaudoin makes a strong impression.
If the Rangers do waive Rempe, it will come down to numbers more than anything else. It would be a tough outcome, but the path is becoming clearer. For now, his future with the Blueshirts looks very much up in the air.
In Other News...
Rangers Roster Crunch Could Cost Them A Young Player They Like
The roster trim is underway at Madison Square Garden, with the Rangers moving into the waiver portion of their preseason cutdown ahead of the September 28 deadline. Five players have already been waived and cleared, and goalie Spencer Martin is currently on waivers as the club works through the usual late-summer sorting that comes with a crowded camp and a few tough decisions.
What makes this stretch a little more delicate is that not every player exposed would be likely to slip through untouched. Based on speculation from scouts and an NHL agent, Matt Rempe, Scott Morrow and Dylan Garand are the names most often mentioned as potential targets if the Rangers end up putting them on waivers, which gives the final phase of the cutdown a little extra tension for a team trying to keep its depth intact. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Are Taking A Real Risk With Gabe Perreaults Next Deal
The Rangers decision not to push for a Gabe Perreault extension before the Sept. 16 deadline fits the way NHL teams often handle a young player with plenty still to prove. Per The Athletic, there was less urgency to get something done early because Perreault is not in offer-sheet territory under the current rules, which gave New York the breathing room to simply watch how his game develops over the upcoming season.
That patience could come with a price if Perreault takes the next step the organization believes he can. A strong year would only strengthen his leverage the next time the Rangers sit down at the negotiating table, and the early signs suggest he could be in a position to matter right away in a big role. The question now is whether New Yorks wait-and-see approach saves money, or just delays a much larger conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Rangers Roster Battle Is Starting To Get Real In Preseason
Seven players got their first preseason look for the Rangers against the Devils at Madison Square Garden, a night that offered a clearer picture of how the roster is taking shape as camp winds down. The forwards projected to be regulars were in the mix, and the lineup felt closer to the one New York expects to roll out when the games start to matter, giving the coaching staff one more chance to sort out the edges of the roster.
The most interesting edge may be in goal, where the backup role remains unsettled behind Igor Shesterkin. Joonas Korpisalo, acquired from the Bruins this summer, is making his preseason debut and is in the mix with Dylan Garand for the No. 2 job, one of the few spots still carrying real suspense. The Rangers are set to lean into that process again in Fridays preseason finale against the Islanders, when they plan to use what should be their opening-night lineup. [Read more 🡒]