Wendell Cruz-Imagn ImagesThe New York Rangers have placed Matt Rempe on injured reserve due to a thumb injury. Rempe is expected to have another procedure on his thumb.
This injury stems from a fight against Ryan Reaves on Oct. 23, causing Rempe to break his thumb.
The 23-year-old forward missed 24 games, and when he made his return to the Rangers’ lineup, he was not 100 percent healthy.
Rempe admitted this thumb injury hindered his game upon his return to the lineup.
“I could be better,” Rempe emphasized in January. “Just getting my thumb back. I just need to keep working. It's harder on my stick right now. It’s my top hand, so it’s hard in the battles and stuff, but there’s no excuse. I gotta win battles. I want to protect the puck better…
“I just gotta keep working on the strength. I just gotta keep trying to get that mobility back so I can hold my stick properly and fight again. Injuries happen, and I just gotta keep working through it.”
Mike Sullivan scratched Rempe out of the lineup for a handful of games, with the root cause coming from the nagging thumb injury.
Sullivan shared the same sentiment that Rempe was limited in terms of what he could do on the ice.
“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,” Sullivan said of Rempe.
The Rangers aren’t ruling Rempe out for the season, but the plan is to give him ample time to get better, as there’s no specific timeline for when he’ll resume hockey activities.