With a guaranteed top six pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers have an array of potentially franchise-altering options at their disposal. But is Porter Martone, a winger in the purest sense, one of them?
After all, the Flyers' cupboard is already overflowing with wingers.
Rookie sensation Matvei Michkov is Philadelphia's franchise player of the future, while veterans like Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny each signed long-term contract extensions with the Flyers in the last year.
Then there's Bobby Brink, who quietly announced himself in a limited role this season, and Tyson Foerster, whose howlitzer of a shot shot and elite defensive details are sure to earn him a big payday this summer.
Newcomers Alex Bump and Nikita Grebenkin will have something to say for themselves next training camp, too.
In the short-term, the Flyers genuinely don't have a spot readily available for a Martone. At the same time, Martone may very well have the highest ceiling of them all.
This makes for an interesting draft day decision for the Flyers. Should they potentially reach and go off the board for the center prospect they so highly covet, or should they draft the highest-upside prospect in Martone?
I enlisted the help of Lauren Kelly, EliteProspects' OHL scout, to get some further insight into the Brampton Steelheads star and to see if there's a potential fit with the Flyers.
"Martone’s highs, particularly with regards to his playmaking and passing abilities, are near the top of the class — if not at the top, at least amongst forwards. That skill alone could easily allow him to play a top-line role in the NHL and has the potential to develop into one of the league’s premier playmakers," Kelly told The Hockey News. "He also has strong finishing instincts in front of the net, whether it’s finishing off loose pucks in tight or executing difficult redirections in the slot, which would add another element to his productivity in the NHL, as he wouldn’t solely have to rely on possessing the puck to contribute."
Martone, 18, is currently ranked as EliteProspects' No. 3 player, trailing only defenceman Matthew Schaefer and forward Michael Misa. And unlike draft classmate James Hagens, Martone has maintained his status as a top-2 forward prospect throughout the entire season.
He scored 37 goals, 61 assists, and 98 points in 57 games while captaining the Steelheads for the first time, and added four goals, five assists, nine points, and 10 penalty minutes in six playoff games.
Really, the only thing there isn't to like about Martone is his lack of positional versatility, which Misa, the No. 1 forward prospect in the 2025 draft, has.
Can, or should, the Flyers stick Martone at center anyway?
"There have been times this season where Martone has stepped in for the occasional faceoff and won a few, but I think he’s more of a pure winger in the NHL," Kelly said of Martone. "Unless he is given the opportunity to play more full-time C next season and can prove he’s as effective down the middle of the ice, his game is more built around being a dangerous distributor from the flanks at the moment. He would also need to improve upon his physical game, play-driving ability, and play through contact more consistently in order to successfully step into a centre role in the NHL."
The one knock on Martone, through most of this pre-draft process so far, has been his inconsistent engagement on the ice. Sometimes that's mental, and sometimes that's physical.
To reach his full potential, his physicality must increase to match his 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame.
One would think that, over time, Martone will physically mature and grow even bigger and stronger, but applying it in a game setting is a matter of will.
Since I started covering the Flyers in 2023, my articles have regularly been flooded with comments that reflect a desire to acquire their own Matthew Tkachuk or Brady Tkachuk.
Check out the quick release by Porter Martone.
— Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) October 4, 2024
3 points so far tonight brings him up to 9 points in 7 periods this season. pic.twitter.com/RKkIaN2f31
Martone has a skillset on par with the Tkachuk brothers, but he's not quite there yet in terms of the mind-bending aggression and unrelenting, punishing physicality.
Still, he's a guy Flyers fans absolutely should want on their side.
"I think Martone has some Tkachukian-elements in his game — he does a great job of getting in opponents’ heads, especially in post-whistle scrums, he’s definitely not afraid to chirp, and he’s a natural leader (Brady got the 'C' early in his career). But I don’t necessarily see a brute force on the ice — he plays a much more refined, finesse game than both Tkachuk brothers," Kelly said of Martone's on-ice demeanor. "In fact, his game is similar to Michkov’s — extremely skilled, high-end playmaker. While the decision-making can sometimes leave you wanting more, and he has a lower motor than a lot of other top prospects in this class, and he can be an opportunistic producer, his highs are so high that sometimes you can excuse some of the weaknesses.
"That being said, it’s worth noting that pace and decision-making are easier for prospects to improve upon than other areas, and the biggest difference between him and Michkov is that he’s 6-foot-3 with the potential to develop into a physical force. He’s not quite to the Tkachuk-level of physicality, but he could very well get there in the near future. And I think even if the Flyers have a surplus of skilled wingers, adding another wing prospect who could be on par with Michkov would be a major boost to the organization."
The Flyers, as mentioned previously, have a surplus of wingers. But adding Martone automatically makes this a battle of upside.
Are Bump, Grebenkin, Tippett, Foerster, and/or Brink enough to keep Martone away from the Flyers?
The short answer, as it relates to the veteran Tippett and the younger wingers, is no. The long answer, according to Kelly, is still no.
"With this draft class, there are very few potential star game-breakers. It’s a top-heavy class that drops off significantly after the top 4-5. And Martone has that potential," said Kelly. "If Martone is available at No. 4, the Flyers shouldn’t be passing on him to take any other prospect, unless by some miracle one of Matthew Schaefer or Michael Misa is available."
