Mike Sullivan finally explains the truth behind why Matt Rempe keeps getting held from the Rangers l
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Head coach Mike Sullivan finally exposes the truth behind why Matt Rempe continues to be scratched from the New York Rangers lineup.
Mike Sullivan cleared the air on Thursday on why Matt Rempe has stayed out of the New York Rangers lineup. The message was blunt, it was about the thumb.
Sullivan said the scratch is tied to Rempe’s injury, not some mystery punishment. The staff believes the thumb is stopping him from impacting games the way he normally can.
Sullivan said Rempe not playing is 100% because of his thumb injury.
“It’s everything,” he said. “That’s why he’s not in the lineup, because we made a decision based on talking with Remps that he wasn’t able to make an impact on the game the way he’s capable of, and although he’s in a position where he can practice with us all the time, that doesn’t mean you’re prepared for game competition, and especially the game that he plays.”
That tracks with how Rempe has sounded lately, frustrated that he cannot play his style at full force. When your hands are off, everything from forechecks to board battles gets a half step slower. The thumb issue already stole a big chunk of his season, he missed 24 games after breaking it. He returned mid-December, but the recovery clearly has not been clean.
On the stat line, it has been quiet, with just one goal in 21 games with a minus-2. His average ice time sits at 8:42, which screams limited usage.
That is the tricky part, a player like Rempe needs touches and momentum to matter. If he is playing short shifts and protecting an injury, he becomes easy to play against.
Mike Sullivan wants Matt Rempe’s impact to return
MSG has been itching for the big man to tilt a game again, and every scratch feels like the fun got taken away.
The thumb affects more than fighting, it messes with puck protection, stick lifts, and finishing in tight. Even simple plays, chip outs, rim stops, quick catches, get dicey. Sullivan’s approach has been patience and honesty, and that is rare in a league that loves vague injury talk. If Rempe cannot be himself, sitting is smarter than faking it.
For the Rangers, the fourth line identity matters, especially when the top of the lineup is carrying heavy minutes. They need energy shifts that end in the offensive zone, not shifts spent surviving.
The next step is simple, get healthy, then earn the spot again with pace and contact. If that happens, the next homestand could finally feel like a reset for both Rempe and the room.
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Mike Sullivan finally explains the truth behind why Matt Rempe keeps getting held from the Rangers lineup
Should Mike Sullivan keep Matt Rempe out until the thumb is fully right?