Flyers Draft Porter Martone: Pick Grade, Instant Reaction
The Flyers passed on a center, taking Porter Martone sixth overall. (Photo: Kirby Lee, Imagn Images)
The Philadelphia Flyers hit a home run Friday night, picking winger Porter Martone sixth overall atop the 2025 NHL Draft.
Martone, 18, featured alongside future Flyers teammates Travis Sanheim, Tyson Foerster, and Travis Konecny whilst playing for Canada during the 2025 World Championships last month.
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But, playing with and against NHL caliber players wasn't Martone's only feat of excellence on the international stage recently.
The Flyers' newest top prospect stood out to Danny Briere and the Philly brass at the 2024 U18 Men's World Championships last year, scoring five goals, 12 assists, and 17 points in seven games, captaining his nation to a gold medal and finishing third in the tournament in scoring behind only James Hagens and teammate Gavin McKenna.
The 18-year-old scored 37 goals, 61 assists, and 98 points in 57 games with the Brampton Steelheads this season, also captaining the OHL outfit. Martone is a sniper, a natural leader, and a developing, skilled playmaker with room to grow, literally and figuratively.
NHL Draft 2025: Can (or should) the Flyers draft Porter Martone?
NHL Draft 2025: Can (or should) the Flyers draft Porter Martone? 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?
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At 6-foot-3, Martone brings the size the Flyers lack, especially at the winger position. Konecny, Matvei Michkov, and Bobby Brink are all shorter than 6-foot, though it's reasonable to assume someone will eventually have to move to make space for Martone in the NHL lineup.
Grade: A
Martone is a big, sometimes physical player who plays a lot like Michkov and Matthew Tkachuk in terms of his playmaking and the way he sees the game.
The dreaded Flyers power play is a major factor as to why they had such a high pick to begin with, and Martone, even at his current age, would provide a massive boost there alongside fellow newcomer Trevor Zegras.
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He'll shoot, pass, take one-timers, and get to the front of the net all the same, and the Flyers have too many players who do only one of those things.
Martone will have to get bigger, stronger, and meaner to live up to the Tkachuk comparisons, but the skill level is already so high.
The logistics complicate things, but Martone turns 19 on Oct. 26, shortly after opening night. Conceivably, he could be an NHL player with the talent, maturity, and size he has.
But should you do it because you can? The Flyers will answer that in due time, but with the sixth pick in the NHL Draft, they landed the best winger, and one of the best offensive talents, by far.
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