Sabres Taxi Squad

[dudacek]

Just now, Curt said:

Thanks for the additional info.  I had thought it was 1.4M, not 1.125M.  The rest I understood.

You are misunderstanding the point, I think.  All the stuff I quoted above is not what was proposed.  The idea is not to  leave Okposo in the minors all season, or to have him leave the NHL team at all.

The idea was to “send him down” to the taxi squad on off days, as a PAPER TRANSACTION ONLY, and then calling him back up for game days.  In this way they could save some cap hit over the course of the season.  They absolutely would not call someone up to take his place on these off days because it defeats the whole point.

I’m estimating that this might be feasible for up to half the days during the course of the season, thus perhaps they could save $0.5M cap hit.

The stuff about IR players using up excess cap space is relevant, and I don’t know how much that generally costs a team per season.  It’s possible that this is likely to make such a process pointless, but I’m not sure how likely.

Ive also said that I think there may be a way to approach this that everyone is comfortable with.  It’s certainly not something that I would force through if it was going to create bad blood, as you say.

Theoretically, the Sabres could do this with Skinner too, or any player they think will clear waivers, as well as Dahlin, Olofsson and Jokiharju because they are waiver ineligible, right?

[Curt]

Just now, dudacek said:

Theoretically, the Sabres could do this with Skinner too, or any player they think will clear waivers, as well as Dahlin, Olofsson and Jokiharju because they are waiver ineligible, right?

Skinner you can’t, because he has a NMC.  Anyone with a base salary of less than that $1.125M, saves you less.

Teams have actually done this with players at times, carrying only 22 on the roster.

The reason I think it could make more sense this season is because of the taxi squad. Normally I assume that if a player is sent down, they can’t practice with the team, but this season, there is the taxi squad.  You just have them report to the taxi squad, which is already traveling and practicing with the team anyway.

[Taro T]

3 minutes ago, Curt said:

Thanks for the additional info.  I had thought it was 1.4M, not 1.125M.  The rest I understood.

You are misunderstanding the point, I think.  All the stuff I quoted above is not what was proposed.  The idea is not to  leave Okposo in the minors all season, or to have him leave the NHL team at all.

The idea was to “send him down” to the taxi squad on off days, as a PAPER TRANSACTION ONLY, and then calling him back up for game days.  In this way they could save some cap hit over the course of the season.  They absolutely would not call someone up to take his place on these off days because it defeats the whole point.

I’m estimating that this might be feasible for up to half the days during the course of the season, thus perhaps they could save $0.5M cap hit.

The stuff about IR players using up excess cap space is relevant, and I don’t know how much that generally costs a team per season.  It’s possible that this is likely to make such a process pointless, but I’m not sure how likely.

Ive also said that I think there may be a way to approach this that everyone is comfortable with.  It’s certainly not something that I would force through if it was going to create bad blood, as you say.

But you're missing my points; my understanding was that they want to use the entire taxi squad.  If they do that, they have to replace Okposo on the roster or they are down a man.  If they do go down a man, then they can save a smidge over 1/2 of that $1.125; but they'd also have to waive Okposo 5 or 6 times.  Even as a paper transaction, that would have to be hard on a players psyche.

But if they don't go down a man, then all those maneuvers save, at best a smidge under $200k.

They'll have ~$2MM in cap with a 23 man roster & no other significant moves.  Going w/ the standard 13, 8, 2, with for sake of argument Reider, Irwin, & Bryson as the spares; then the taxi squad would include Tokarski and could include Mittelstadt, Sheahan, Ruusalainen, Asplund, & Borgen or Davidson.  Just seems IMHO that they'd want to keep as many around as they could and they'd prefer that to minor savings when they're already at about what they'd want for IR purposes.  Maybe they would try to get some more to cover ELC bonuses?  Doubt it, but maybe.  The up to $1.5MM they could theoretically save just doesn't seem worth it.  We shall see in just over 2 weeks.

Thought that they might try that with a 2 way player because they'd most likely save more dropping one, but then they are taking actual money out of somebody's pocket.  That will create hard feelings.  And, after a quick look, it doesn't look like anybody would fit that situation.

[Andrew Amerk]

Where did the term “taxi squad” come from?

[rakish]

1 hour ago, Andrew Amerk said:

Where did the term “taxi squad” come from?

Merriam Webster says the Cleveland Browns owner from 1945-53 also owned a taxi company. He hired drivers as ready replacements for his football team

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taxi squad