WASHINGTON — Jeff Gorton may be on Boston’s wish list as the Bruins search for a successor for recently fired general manager Peter Chiarelli, but the Blueshirts have not granted permission to the B’s to speak with their assistant GM, The Post has learned.

“I haven’t given permission to anybody to speak to anyone and I won’t as long as we’re playing,” Rangers GM Glen Sather told The Post following the club’s morning skate preceding Monday’s Game 3 against the Capitals. “And there’s a question whether I would, anyway, after it’s over.”

Gorton, a member of the Blueshirts front office for eight years and assistant GM for the last four, previously spent 15 years as part of Bruins management until his dismissal in 2007, serving as assistant GM in Boston for seven years.

Indeed, Gorton was the club’s acting GM from late March through mid-July of 2006 after Mike O’Connell’s firing and Chiarelli’s hiring. He held that position when the Bruins acquired Tuukka Rask from the Maple Leafs in a trade for Andrew Raycroft; selected Phil Kessel, Milan Lucic and Brad Marchand in the entry draft; and signed Zdeno Chara and Marc Savard as free agents.

No wonder the Bruins have interest in speaking with him. Indeed, one media outlet on Monday suggested Gorton, former Pittsburgh GM Ray Shero and current Boston assistant GM Don Sweeney are the three “finalists” for the job. (Later Monday, Shero was hired as GM of the Devils.)

The problem for the B’s, though, is Gorton, under contract for at least another season, is an invaluable member of the Blueshirts’ operation, handling the day-to-day interaction with agents regarding contract negotiations while overseeing matters relating to the salary cap.

Gorton would become a prime candidate to succeed Sather when (and if) the GM decides to step down (or step up) from that position.

The Rangers showed the same line combinations and defensive pairings at the skate that were intact for most of Saturday’s Game 2 win. The power-play units remained the same, also, meaning Rick Nash would continue to act as the net presence on the combination with J.T. Miller and Kevin Hayes up front. It was Nash’s screen that allowed Dan Boyle to get the power-play goal that made it 2-0 on Saturday.

“When I look at our personnel and at who can do the net-front presence and still be able to tip pucks, take some checks in front and maybe slide some pucks in, I look at [Chris Kreider] and at Nasher,” coach Alain Vigneault said. “[They’re] two big bodies that can take some abuse and still have the balls to stay in there and take it and do what they need to do.”

The Blueshirts have not heard from BU free agent goaltender Matt O’Connor, who visited with management during a practice at the club’s training center last Wednesday. O’Connor also is being courted by Ottawa, Edmonton and Vancouver.