The New York Rangers had a major reason to feel encouraged when they returned to practice on Tuesday: towering forward Matt Rempe was back on the ice for the first time since suffering an upper-body injury during his Oct. 23 fight with San Jose’s Ryan Reaves.
The 6-foot-9 winger took part in drills while wearing a red no-contact jersey. Coach Mike Sullivan also said Rempe will travel with the team to Chicago for Wednesday’s game against the Blackhawks, suggesting the 23-year-old could be ready for full practices soon.
After the Chicago matchup, the Rangers won’t play again until Saturday, when they host the Montreal Canadiens, giving them two extra days between games.
Sullivan explained that Rempe had been skating on his own with skills coaches, and Tuesday marked the next step—integrating him into team practice in a limited-contact role. “The final step is to get him into game-like situations,” the coach added.
Rempe has one goal and seven penalty minutes across nine games this season. He appeared in every game to start the year and was a physical presence on the forecheck and a committed defensive contributor. After dialing back some of the drama and controversy from his first two NHL seasons, he seemed to establish himself as a reliable fourth-line option—making his injury in a fight, his first of the year, somewhat ironic.
His eventual return will be a boost for a Rangers team that has rotated several players through the fourth line, centered by Sam Carrick. Fellow fourth-liner Adam Edstrom is also injured; he missed practice Tuesday and won’t join the team in Chicago, marking his fourth straight absence. Sullivan said Edstrom is following the team’s “return-to-play protocol” but didn’t specify the nature of the injury. Edstrom has two goals and two assists in 24 games.
Update: The Rangers placed Edstrom on LTIR Wednesday morning.
Adam Fox Update
Sullivan also offered some encouraging news about star defenseman Adam Fox, noting that Fox has skated twice on his own since being placed on LTIR with an upper-body injury nine days ago.
Fox must miss at least 10 games; Wednesday’s contest will be the fifth. There’s still no timeline for his return, though the team does not expect him to be out for months.
Despite losing the 2021 Norris Trophy winner, the Rangers have held up well, going 2-0-2 and earning six of eight points last week. Their stretch included an overtime win over the Dallas Stars and OT losses to the powerhouse Colorado Avalanche and Vegas Golden Knights.
Sullivan praised the team’s response: “The guys have done a really good job, they’re competing hard. He’s not easy to replace — he plays big minutes, drives our transition game, moves the puck, joins the offense, helps the power play, and defends well. The players stepping in have done a great job bringing their own strengths and staying within themselves.”