NHL analyst Ken Campbell expressed his thoughts on Matt Rempe, criticizing the fact that he has a regular spot on the New York Rangers’ roster. Despite being with the team this season, Rempe has only played in three games and averaged just 5 minutes of ice time. After being sent down to the AHL earlier in the month, he was called up for a game against the Washington Capitals, where Campbell argued that players like him should no longer have a place in the NHL, emphasizing that simply fighting is insufficient for team contributions.
In his return to the lineup, Rempe did engage in a fight with veteran Capitals defenseman Dylan McIlrath, marking his first fight of the season. However, across three games, he has logged only 16:18 of ice time—a small amount compared to other forwards in the league. To make matters worse, he lost the fight, raising concerns about his effectiveness as a physical player, which can impact team morale, especially in a losing situation, as the Capitals defeated the Rangers 5-3.
Given the decline of the enforcer role and coach Peter Laviolette’s apparent reluctance to utilize Rempe, his future in the NHL appears uncertain, especially with his limited minutes on the ice.
