The Detroit Red Wings have a lot of ground to cover before puck drop.
Between Dylan Larkin's trade request and Simon Edvinsson's pending contract, there's no shortage of work that will need to be done by the new general manager.
That's why the Red Wings need to stick the landing with this hiring process.
In order to avoid a potential disaster, the team needs to avoid hiring any of these three names:
Jim Rutherford is not the answer
On the Sekeres and Price Show, NHL insider Jeff Marek wondered about the possibility of former Vancouver Canucks general manager Jim Rutherford taking over in Detroit. "Considering he's a former Red Wing, would Jim Rutherford make any sense there?" Marek posited.
Rutherford's record with the Canucks over the last four years should disqualify him from the job immediately. Rutherford, 77, ended his time in Vancouver trading away franchise icon Quinn Hughes and locking up Elias Pettersson to one of the worst contracts in the NHL.
The Canucks, who are now in the midst of a long, long rebuild, show exactly what fate awaits Detroit if they decide to hire Rutherford.
Brad Treliving would be more of the same
Brad Treliving hasn't adapted with the rapid pace of today's NHL.
The former Toronto Maple Leafs general manager built an old, sluggish core with the Maple Leafs, squandering several prime years of Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Under Treliving's watch, franchise forward Mitch Marner walked for little more than Nicholas Roy and a fourth round pick. While the Leafs did go on to win the draft lottery, little else can be said about his time in Toronto.
But the Maple Leafs aren't the only team Treliving damaged.
The Calgary Flames, who likely have the worst offensive lineup in the NHL, have Treliving's fingerprints all over their roster. Treliving is the architect of the dreadful Matthew Tkachuk trade, earning the Flames Jonathan Huberdeau and MacKenzie Weegar. Huberdeau, once a 100-point forward, now has the worst contract in the NHL.
If the Red Wings hope to stay old and slow, Brad Treliving is the perfect answer.
Ryan Martin doesn't have what the Red Wings need
If the name sounds familiar, it should: Martin was an assistant general manager to the Red Wings until 2020-2021, helping both the Ken Holland and early Steve Yzerman administrations run the Grand Rapids Griffins. Since then, he's been with the New York Rangers, working with Chris Drury as the assistant general manager to the Rangers and general manager of the Hartford Wolf Pack.
Bringing Martin back into the fold is a double dose of disaster. His drafting philosophy is similar to Holland's, focusing on hard-hitting, big-bodied players. Worst of all, he's worked directly under Chris Drury, who has all but condemned the Rangers to irrelevance in the Metropolitan Division.
Bringing in Martin would essentially revert the team to an old boys' club once again, relying on familiarity over functionality. Any hope for a major change would be lost upon his hiring.
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