Report: Rangers to hire Ryan Martin as assistant GM, GM of Wolf Pack

Larry Brooks of the New York Post is reporting that the New York Rangers have hired Ryan Martin as the team’s new assistant general manager and as the general manager of the Hartford Wolf Pack. Both positions were previously held by current GM and Team President Chris Drury before his promotion earlier this offseason.

Rangers have hired Ryan Martin as assistant GM and GM of Wolf Pack, Post has learned. Had been longtime member of Red Wings organization, worked with Team USA.

— Larry Brooks (@NYP_Brooksie) August 13, 2021

Martin has been working behind the scenes with the Detroit Red Wings since the 2005-06 season when he was first hired as Director of Hockey Administration. Ahead of the 2010-11 season, he was promoted to the team’s assistant general manager — a position he held before being hired by the Blueshirts.

Martin has also worked with Team USA for nearly a decade in player personnel and scouting roles. The chances are good that this is how he ended up on Drury’s and the Rangers’ radar for the assistant GM vacancy.

His duties in Detroit were outlined here in his USA Hockey profile page:

Martin is primarily responsible for collective bargaining agreement administration and compliance, salary cap management, player contract research and analysis, and salary arbitration preparation. He is also involved extensively in all facets of player contract negotiations, strategic planning and player evaluations at both the professional and amateur levels.

Some may view this as a lateral move for Martin, moving from working under and with Steve Yzerman in Detroit to working under and with Chris Drury in New York but we don’t know the details of his salary. The Rangers are also much closer to being a contender than the Red Wings are and Martin has been in Detroit for a long time.

All signs point to Martin being the Rangers’ resident “cap wizard” in addition to his other duties as assistant GM and the GM of the team’s AHL affiliate.