Detroit’s search for a new Director of Hockey Operations is already drawing the usual familiar names, and not all of them are landing well with fans. Brendan Shanahan, Shawn Horcoff and Kris Draper are the first three that come up in conversation, but each comes with baggage in its own way. Shanahan’s run in Toronto never produced the kind of success people expected, while Draper and Horcoff are part of the current setup during a 10-year playoff drought.
There is, however, one former Detroit executive who could make real sense in the mix: Ryan Martin.
Martin spent 16 years as the Red Wings’ assistant general manager, with only one of those seasons overlapping with Steve Yzerman. He now serves as assistant GM with the New York Rangers, and his résumé has kept him in the conversation for top jobs elsewhere. He was among the candidates considered for the Toronto Maple Leafs and Nashville Predators GM openings before those positions went to John Chayka and Chris MacFarland.
His background checks a lot of boxes. Martin has handled contract negotiations, talent evaluation and team building, and he did strong work with the Grand Rapids Griffins during his time in Detroit. He also has deep connections through USA Hockey, including work with junior and senior national teams, and those relationships have helped him build ties with a wide range of players.
From what I’ve been told, Martin has also adapted to the modern game. That matters in this kind of search, because he should interview well and stack up against the other assistant GMs expected to get looks.
Elsewhere around the Red Wings picture, former Detroit defenseman Jakub Kindl is weighing his future in hockey.
There’s also a question floating around about captain Dylan Larkin: with a new GM in place, could he rescind his trade request? And do fans even want that?
Former NHL defenseman Chris Pronger also had a blunt reaction to what’s happening in Detroit.
As for Eduards Tralmaks, the path to Edmonton looks every bit as difficult as the one he faced in Detroit. Looking at the Oilers’ forwards under NHL contract, there may only be one or two openings, with several players fighting for those spots. If former Michigan State forward Isaac Howard becomes a regular, that squeezes the competition even more.
Tralmaks’ situation is made tougher by the shortened training camp and fewer preseason games under the new 84-game schedule. He needs a longer look to really show what he brings, especially along the boards and around the net. Those who skated with him in Grand Rapids will be pulling for him, and for good reason: he’s a very likeable teammate.
In Florida, the Panthers suspended equipment manager Teddy Richards, 43, after he was charged with domestic violence in Broward County.
In Other News...
A Familiar Red Wings Name Is Back In The Organization
A familiar hockey surname is back in the Red Wings orbit, with Tag Bertuzzi joining Grand Rapids on a one-year deal. The forward, whose family ties to Detroit run deep, arrives with professional experience in both the AHL and ECHL after his junior days in the OHL, giving the Griffins another depth option with a name that will sound familiar to longtime fans.
The family connection only adds to the intrigue, since Tag is following a path already worn by his father Todd and cousin Tyler through the Detroit organization and its affiliates. Tyler also spent time in Grand Rapids, so this latest move keeps another Bertuzzi thread tied to the system, even if the next step for Tag still has to be earned on the ice. [Read more 🡒]
Red Wings GM Search May Be Near Its Most Divisive Turn Yet
The Red Wings search for their next general manager is starting to feel less like a routine hire and more like a referendum on what kind of front office Detroit wants to be. The club is weighing both internal and external options, which is usually where these searches get complicated, especially when a team is trying to balance familiarity, fresh ideas and the pressure to make the right long-term call.
Around the league, the market is offering its own reminders of how hard it is to line up talent, timing and fit. Anthony Mantha said his move to the Devils came after a personal recruitment process and his belief in the numbers behind the fit, while the Maple Leafs are not eager to move Morgan Rielly unless they have a clear replacement in hand. Even the rumor mill is doing its part, with speculation about Connor McDavid and the Flyers floating around without confirmation, a sign that Detroits decision could end up being shaped as much by perception as by the candidate list itself. [Read more 🡒]
Steve Yzerman's Red Wings Legacy Comes Down To These Hits And Misses
Steve Yzermans run as Red Wings general manager has become a study in contrasts, with the draft room giving Detroit real building blocks while some of the veteran bets have been harder to justify. Moritz Seider and Lucas Raymond remain the clearest proof that the organization can still identify and develop high-end talent, and the pipeline has also produced useful pieces such as Simon Edvinsson, Elmer Soderblom and Emmitt Finnie. On the other side of the ledger, long-term commitments to players who have not fully delivered have left the roster with some expensive clutter.
The tension in Yzermans legacy is that the same executive who has made smart additions has also had a few moves that linger for the wrong reasons. The Alex DeBrincat acquisition stands out as a win because it brought a proven scorer into the fold, but it sits alongside other decisions that have drawn scrutiny for their cost and timing. Even now, the biggest question around his tenure is not whether he has found talent, but whether the misses have started to outweigh the hits. [Read more 🡒]