Cap games have started.
Blueshirts engaged in a lot of tax team staff moves this week. Colin Blackwell, who co-coached Thursday’s 3-2 win over the Buffalo overtime, has moved twice in the taxi squad since his initial recall on Jan. 23, saving the club $ 6,250 per day limit outside NHL list. The move costs real money, and his daily pay for the taxi crew is $ 1,810.34 less than he earns while on Blueshirts.
Expect to see younger guys like K’Andre Miller and Kaapo Kakko also commuting. Already on Friday, Blackwell, Miller and Kakko were assigned to the taxi team. Miller’s move saved the Rangers $ 10,560.34 on the cover, while costing the defender $ 5,137.93 in salary, as did Kakko. Any day Kakko is on the taxi crew, Rangers saves him $ 30,818.97 in space. Lafreniere cannot be sent to the taxi team, as QMJHL, to which the 19-year-old should be assigned if not with Blueshirts, is currently playing.
Jack Johnson, currently injured, and Brendan Smith would need exemptions to spend time on the taxi crew. Blueshirts would save $ 9,267.24 each per day, with veterans’ pay unaffected by the fact that they have unique contracts. In fact, they would be exempt from the escrow deduction while on the taxi crew.
Similarly, the Rangers have moved players from the AHL roster for day trips to the taxi crew while the Wolf Pack runs a training camp. Anthony Greco and Tim Gettinger received each call for a day, with CEO Jeff Gorton trying to spread the fortune. Players in the AHL camp are not paid. Those in the taxi team receive full AHL salaries. So that was $ 1,274.14 for Greco (with a minor league salary of $ 200,000) and $ 560.34 for Gettinger ($ 65,000).
Rangers hope Ryan Strome, who suffered an unidentified lower body injury with 3:47 left in regulation, will be good to go to Saturday’s Garden game against the Penguins.