New York Rangers facing criticism from journalist for decisions with Matt Rempe
New York based sports reporter Larry Brooks called out the New York Rangers today for making Matt Rempe a healthy scratch against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Rangers are poised to make a serious run at the Stanley Cup this season and as such everything the team does is being scrutinized just a little but more. After all, little things in the NHL can add up over time, and every advantage you can get could make a difference in the long run. With that being said, New York post reporter Larry Brooks is questioning Peter Laviolette's lineup decisions, specifically in regards to Matt Rempe.
Of course, Laviolette is going to put out the lineup that he thinks will give him the best chance to win every night. After all, as Jacob Trouba suggested, this could be the final push for this New York Rangers core. As such, everyone in the organization is going to put in a little extra effort to win now. So does Rempe better the chances of the Rangers winning more than the alternatives? Quantifying that is tough, but this is Brooks' take on it.
But let me ask you: Which of these two players would present more of a threat to the Florida Panthers in the conference finals, or to the 2025 version of the Florida Panthers, because there's always a bigger, stronger, more physical opponent under the rainbow?"
Even Brooks seems to concede here that Rempe is not exactly a great hockey player and the stats seem to back that up. In 18 career NHL games he has a single goal and one assist. However, he has 53 hits and 71 penalty minutes in those games. What is remarkable is the fact that he has nearly spent as much time in the box (71 minutes) as he has on the ice (99 minutes) to this point in his career. The story is largely the same at the AHL level. Last season was Rempe's second in the American league and he got into 43 games where he put up 8 goals and 12 points as well as 96 penalty minutes. In 96 career AHL games he has 183 penalty minutes, averaging nearly 2 minutes per game.
Everything here seems to point to the fact that Rempe is largely an unnecessary addition to the team. Besides that, the organization has more pressing matters to attend, such as signing Igor Shesterkin to a contract extension. While it is true that teams want big, physical players, especially in the playoffs, skill is still important. Teams would much rather have players like Victor Hedman instead of Matt Rempe. As such, Rempe's presence in the Rangers lineup could dwindle over time.
