The cap games have started.
This week, the Blueshirts have been dealing with a wave of staff relocations of taxis. Colin Blackwell, who co-pilots Thursday’s 3-2 overtime win at Buffalo, has moved to the taxi squad twice since his original January 23 recall, saving the club $ 6,250 per day on the limit he has from the NHL roster is removed. The move costs the winger real money, his daily taxi crew salary $ 1,810.34 less than he earns at the Blueshirts.
Also expect to see younger guys like K’Andre Miller and Kaapo Kakko commute. As early as Friday, Blackwell, Miller and Kakko were all assigned to the taxi crew. The Miller move saved the Rangers $ 10,560.34 on the limit, while the defender cost $ 5,137.93 in wages, the same as Kakko. Every day that Kakko is on the cab crew, the Rangers saves $ 30,818.97 in cap space. Lafreniere cannot be sent to the taxi crew because the QMJHL, to which the 19-year-old would have to be assigned if not with the Blueshirts, is currently playing.
Jack Johnson, currently injured, and Brendan Smith would need waivers to spend time on the taxi crew. The Blueshirts would save $ 9,267.24 per day, while the veterans’ wages were unaffected by the fact that they had one-way contracts. In fact, they would be spared the bail deduction while on the taxi crew.
Likewise, 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 each got the call for a day, while CEO Jeff Gorton tries to spread the wealth. Players in AHL camp are not paid. Those on the taxi crew receive their full AHL salaries. So that was $ 1,274.14 for Greco (on a $ 200,000 minor league salary) and $ 560.34 for Gettinger ($ 65,000).
The Rangers are hopeful that Ryan Strome, who suffered an unidentified lower body injury with 3:47 remaining under regulations, will be well ahead of Saturday’s Garden game against the Penguins.