Matt Rempe didn't hesitate. It's "definitely been different" seeing his name in a trade rumor, something that had never happened until last week, when Sportsnet's Frank Seravalli reported that Oilers head coach Mike Babcock is "believed to admire" the 6-foot-9 Rangers forward — and specifically linked Rempe as a potential option for a team looking to add size.
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It marked the first rumor to swirl about Rempe, who, after making the roster out of training camp, fell out of the fourth-line rotation and skated only in his third game of the season Tuesday when the Rangers hosted the Blues at the Garden. He said he'll stay off social media to avoid the chatter and has instead focused on trying to carve out a role with the team he broke into the NHL with four years ago.
"I don't pay attention to that stuff," Rempe, a Calgary native, told The Post on Monday. "That type of stuff's all out of my control. I'm just focused on here and trying to get better and get in the lineup and make the most of those opportunities."
Tuesday marked a rare chance for Rempe to skate in a game this season, as head coach Mike Sullivan placed him on the fourth line alongside center Noah Laba and the recently recalled Jaroslav Chmelar. Rempe appeared in the season opener against the Bruins and then Oct. 13 against the Lightning, but he hasn't played the past three weeks — watching instead as Sullivan searched for solutions to a fourth line that hardly played.
Matt Rempe #73 of the New York Rangers skates with the puck against the Tampa Bay Lightning. NHLI via Getty Images
Rempe's path since the start of last season has been rocky, too. He underwent two thumb procedures following an October 2025 fight with Ryan Reaves, and the injury — and subsequent recovery — limited what Rempe could contribute with his puck movement and stick-handling. Rempe, though, reiterated in training camp that he was fully recovered, and he fought Tampa Bay's Jeffrey Viel on Oct. 13.
But now his future with the Blueshirts has started to become — at the very least — a bit murky with the Edmonton trade rumor, too.
"Just don't read into anything like that," Rempe said. "Whatever happens happens. That's out of your control, so you just try to focus on what you can do each day. When I'm out at the rink, I'm doing things I like to do and not paying attention to that type of stuff."
