The Detroit Red Wings’ search for Steve Yzerman’s successor has produced plenty of names. Pierre LeBrun believes there is one familiar candidate Detroit should at least consider adding to the conversation.

Ryan Martin, currently associate general manager of the New York Rangers, spent 16 seasons in the Red Wings organization before leaving Detroit in 2021. Yet according to LeBrun, Detroit has not interviewed him during its search.

“I’m surprised the Red Wings haven’t interviewed Ryan Martin yet,” LeBrun wrote, before suggesting Martin would be a logical executive for Detroit to contact.

That is an important distinction. LeBrun is not reporting that Martin has entered the search, nor that Detroit has contacted him. He is raising his name as a possibility after Tigers general manager Jeff Greenberg withdrew from consideration earlier this week.

Martin Knows Detroit From the Inside

Martin would offer an unusual combination if Chris Ilitch decided to call.

He spent 11 seasons as a Red Wings assistant general manager and eight as general manager of the Grand Rapids Griffins. According to the Rangers’ official biography of Martin, his Detroit responsibilities included salary-cap management, CBA compliance, contract research and negotiations, arbitration preparation, strategic planning and player evaluation. He also oversaw hockey operations in Grand Rapids and was part of Detroit’s organization when the Red Wings won the 2008 Stanley Cup.

New York hired Martin in 2021 and promoted him to associate general manager in 2025 while he continued running the Hartford Wolf Pack.

That résumé makes Martin different from many of the names already associated with Detroit’s search. He would technically come from outside the organization, but hardly arrive needing an introduction to how the Red Wings operate.

Detroit’s Search Is Running Into the Calendar

Detroit has already considered a mix of internal and external candidates, with Shawn Horcoff and Kris Draper among the familiar names discussed earlier in the process. The field has since changed, most notably with Greenberg removing himself.

Meanwhile, the Red Wings open training camp Sept. 17 at the BELFOR Training Center.

LeBrun’s suggestion does not mean Detroit is restarting its search or preparing to interview Martin. If anything, his reporting creates a different question.

Why hasn’t a longtime former Red Wings executive, now holding an elevated position with another Original Six franchise, gotten an interview?

Martin may never become part of the process. But with Detroit still looking for a general manager and one prominent candidate already walking away, LeBrun has identified a name with enough history and experience to make the omission notable.