The New York Rangers' season is over, and now the focus will be on how President and General Manager Chris Drury and Head Coach Mike Sullivan will retool the roster. There were no immediate plans provided at the end of season media scrums, only that Sullivan wants a puck moving defenseman and some bottom six forward depth to help on special teams. Even though the Rangers finished in last place in the Eastern Conference, Drury was considered safe in terms of job security, much to some fans' dismay.
It appears that one member of the Rangers' front office could be on the way out...for a promotion.
NHL insider Frank Seravalli reported on Monday that Rangers Associate General Manager Ryan Martin was named one of the finalists for the Toronto Maple Leafs' vacant general manager position. The other executive named was Boston Bruins Assistant General Manager Evan Gold.
Sources say two of the 'finalists' advancing in the Maple Leafs GM search this week are #NHLBruins assistant GM Evan Gold and #NYR assistant GM Ryan Martin.
— Frank Seravalli (@frank_seravalli) April 20, 2026
There is likely a third (or more?) candidate to meet with the team for a second in-person interview this week.
Rangers Associate GM Ryan Martin named finalist for Maple Leafs' front office gig
For Maple Leafs fans, who are a frustrated fan base as is, may not be too thrilled at the possibility of bringing in someone from the Rangers' front office. Especially the front office of a team that finished in last place in the Eastern Conference. But that's not to say that Martin is an "out of nowhere" candidate.
Besides the Maple Leafs position, Martin also interviewed with the Nashville Predators for their vacant general manager position, as Barry Trotz is stepping away from the role. But, there's no word if Martin was named a finalist for the job. Besides, recently fired Devils general manager and former Nashville player Tom Fitzgerald is heavily linked to his former team.
The Maple Leafs were heavily linked to Florida Panthers assistant general manager Sunny Mehta, only to see him take the GM position for the New Jersey Devils.
Martin has been with the Rangers organization since 2021, where he was named the assistant general manager for the Hartford Wolf Pack. He was eventually promoted to general manager of the AHL team. The reputation of Hartford had come under question, especially considering the development of top prospects came into question this season (before the promising emergences of Gabe Perreault, Adam Sýkora, Drew Fortescue and Dylan Garand). Here is how the Wolf Pack performed over the years with Martin running the front office.
- 2021-22 season: 32-32-6 (did not qualify for playoffs)
- 2022-23 season: 35-26-4 (eliminated in third round of playoffs)
- 2023-24 season: 34-28-7 (eliminated in third round of playoffs)
- 2024-25 season: 30-33-7 (did not qualify for playoffs)
- 2025-26 season: 26-38-5 (did not qualify for playoffs)
Before this season, Martin was promoted as associate general manager for the Rangers, while maintaining his role with the Wolf Pack.
He also was the general manager for the Detroit Red Wings' AHL affiliate, the Grand Rapids Griffins. He was credited for building up the Red Wings' farm system, which resulted in the Griffins winning the 2017 Calder Cup. Additionally, Martin was the general manager for the United States team in the IIHF World Championships in 2022, where they finished in fourth place.
The Maple Leafs have one of the more passionate fan bases in pro sports, so whatever decision they make will be heavily debated. He's not a name as well-regarded as Mike Gillis, who built up the Vancouver Canucks into legitimate contenders in the late 2000s and early 2010s, but Martin has seemingly done well enough in the interview process to receive serious consideration for the job. We'll see if he does end up as the next general manager of the Maple Leafs.
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