Brad Penner-Imagn ImagesMatt Rempe remains out of the lineup for the New York Rangers, but he still hasn’t been listed on any injury report.
After missing 24 games due to a broken thumb, Rempe was activated off of long-term injured reserve.
Despite playing in 12 games upon his return, Rempe still wasn’t 100 percent healthy, and specifically had trouble holding his stick properly because of his broken thumb.
“I was out for about two months, and it hasn't gone as I wanted it to when I came back,” Rempe said early in January. “It isn’t bad or anything, but it's just been okay… 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.”
It was clear this lingering injury was putting a limitation on Rempe’s game.
While still traveling and practicing with the team, Mike Sullivan has decided to scratch the 23-year-old forward from the lineup until he feels he’s physically ready to play.
Rempe has been scratched out of the past four games, and there’s still no timetable for when he’ll be inserted back into the lineup.
“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 on Thursday.