Per Frank Seravalli, the Edmonton Oilers could be targeting New York Rangers forward Matt Rempe in a trade. This doesn’t sound like anything is concrete or in the process, as Seravalli seems to mostly be throwing a name out there for kicks and giggles. That said, the Rangers have not used Matt Rempe as anything beyond a spare forward. Seravalli also notes that Oilers coach Mike Babcock wants his team to be “tougher to play against” as Edmonton looks to build on its 9-2-2 start to the season.
This is an interesting spot for the Rangers to be in. Rempe isn’t an everyday player for them, despite the calls for him to be playing instead of Taylor Raddysh. When he has played, he’s seen less than 7 minutes of ice time. Neither Peter Laviolette nor Mike Sullivan have been able to find a true everyday role for Rempe. Rempe is currently the 13F for the Rangers as they deal with injuries, but it appears he’s more of a 14F/15F when the club is fully healthy.
The Oilers’ interest in Matt Rempe, if true, isn’t a scenario where Chris Drury gives away a player for free. However Rempe’s future with the Rangers is cloudy at best. Adam Sykora—out for another 3-4 months–and Jaro Chmelar are ahead of him on the depth chart, even if the latter is in Hartford to develop more. After this season, the hope is Liam Greentree, Cole Beaudoin, and maybe Dylan Roobroeck start getting NHL minutes. There just aren’t enough roster spots. Rempe would be a numbers game casualty.
It’s unclear what the Oilers would offer for Matt Rempe, but as long as it holds value, the Rangers should look to cash in now. Rempe clearly doesn’t have a spot with the organization long term, and if he’s not going to be used, there’s no point in holding onto him if Edmonton offers something along the lines of a 3rd round pick for him. An asset is an asset, and if Mike Babcock truly likes Rempe, perhaps there’s an opportunity to get a bit more in a trade than other teams would offer.
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