The Philadelphia Flyers are going to be adding their top prospect to the lineup Tuesday night and it’s coming at the perfect time.
In the middle of a revitalized playoff race, and especially after an incredibly impressive 2-1 overtime win over the Dallas Stars last Saturday, there is a real possibility that we could be seeing the postseason for the first time in Philadelphia since 2018. The excitement for the Flyers being possibly back in the playoffs is a thick fog rolling through the city and it’s contagious at this point.
What makes it even better is that they are adding arguably the best prospect not in the NHL to their lineup, and will have him here for the final nine games of the season to potentially make a big impact.
Porter Martone is here and is set to make his NHL debut Tuesday night in Washington against the Capitals. It’s been a moment that so many fans have been waiting for ever since his Charles Barkley said his name during the draft, and all throughout Michigan State’s season as the 19-year-old winger lit up college hockey for 50 points in 35 games.
But, as with any top prospect, expectations should be tempered and we can’t run too wild with the hope that he instantly becomes the star that he is projected to eventually become. We’re allowed to have a little bit of fun while being realistic though — so, what are some of the realistic expectations for Martone? How will he affect this team in a positive way as he plays in his first ever NHL games? We can think of some possibilities.
Capitalizing on the power-play opportunities
A whole lot has been made of the Flyers power play this season, obviously. They still remain as one of the worst in the entire league when it comes to actually converting on it and it’s now been a long string of consecutive seasons where we can say that about this man advantage unit. But, there’s at least something different this year.
While it is possibly annoying to say, the fact is that the Flyers power play has been visually better. They’re connecting on passes, making more quick plays, and getting some stuff on net; but the puck is just not going in. Well, it has been lately as they’ve scored on three of their last five opportunities, but overall it’s been the act of actually putting the puck in the back of the net that’s been the problem.
The Flyers don’t really have a problem creating, but it’s certainly a unique profile as we look at some underlying numbers on the power play and where the Flyers rank since January 1, per Evolving-Hockey.
| Goals for per 60 | Shots for per 60 | Unblocked attempts per 60 | Shot attempts per 60 | Expected goals per 60 |
| 5.43 (30th) | 47.85 (26th) | 80.76 (15th) | 102.48 (14th) | 11.30 (5th) |
Aside from actually scoring goals and actually forcing the opposing goaltender to make a save, the Flyers have a decently average power play. They attempt a slightly above-average amount of shots and are one of the NHL’s leaders in generating expected goals on the man advantage.
Now, back to Martone. With the possibility of him working as a physical netfront force, or even using his top-tier playmaking along the boards, there’s a strong chance that he can elevate that actual conversion rate. Since there is really no one with his mix of size and skill on the unit (the Flyers desperately miss Tyson Foerster), Martone could be a force and find a positive way to contribute to the team down the stretch.
If those expected goals — all those chances generated in-tight — were able to turn into actual goals because someone with more netfront instincts and soft hands like Martone would pounce on any second opportunity, the Flyers could be cooking with gas.
Giving some plateauing veterans an offensive boost
It’s hard not to automatically assume that Martone is going to bring a certain level of firepower almost immediately. Watching him tear open the NCAA and have a very casual lunch while improving dramatically in all the attributes needed to be a consistent pro, compared to where he was in the OHL, has us thinking that he will at the very least have moments of his potential breaking through.
Basically, Martone is already more skilled, in our mind, than the likes of some players who are currently next to the likes of Travis Konecny and other veterans scattered around the Flyers lineup. And by simply injecting that talent in that spot, and creating more of an actual balanced approach to offense rather than an average of one and a half guys on a line who can truly make a play out of not a whole lot, we could see some rejuvenations of seasons.
Right now, it feels logical that Martone would get his start next to Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny. Anecdotally, Rick Tocchet appears to like the Trevor Zegras and Owen Tippett, and Noah Cates and Matvei Michkov connections and those both involve right wingers. Considering that it would be logical to keep Martone at his natural position for his debut, Konecny would theoretically slide over to the left to make this work.
No offense to the player, but Carl Grundstrom was on that line with Dvorak and Konecny in the win over Dallas on Saturday. That feels like an instant upgrade and gives that line someone that can actually support offense more than maybe being a shooting option. And in turn, while Konecny does have four points in the last five games, he hasn’t really been getting those same chances he typically does while playing his best hockey. Maybe, just maybe, if this line works the way we think it should, Martone can work well in tandem with Konecny also being a playmaking winger that doesn’t mind getting right in the dirty areas of the ice and getting involved in scrums between whistles.
As the Flyers head into an ultra-competitive playoff push, having multiple players playing their best hockey and to their peak is vital for it to all work out for them. And maybe it’s just Martone and everything that he can do on the ice as a 6-foot-3 playmaking and physical winger that loves to hang around the net, that could cause Konecny to get on his own hot streak at a crucial time.
Settling the Flyers lineup on-paper
Right now, the injury bug has hit the Flyers forward group. Obviously Foerster has been out since the beginning of December, but winger Nikita Grebenkin also missing some time due to an injury recently has made this Flyers lineup a little shallow. Basically, it forced Carl Grundstrom to play in the top nine, in a position where he really only deserved to be if he is on some incredible heater, as he was when he first joined the team this season.
Adding Martone to this mix just makes everything slightly more palatable. There isn’t some glaring error, a big smidge on the lineup sheet where you wish the Flyers could insert someone with just more talent and potential. Because, well, they get to do that.
Now having a top nine that features some exuberant youth like Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, Matvei Michkov, and now Porter Martone, mixed with the more reliable players like Noah Cates and the steady veteran hand of Travis Konecny, and the red-hot hand of Owen Tippett — basically, there is a feeling of being whole now. Completely rounded out in the current lineup and it would even get more rotund if Tyson Foerster made his way back to full health.
This is more of an effect in theory, since we can think all we want about a lineup on paper but the actual on-ice effectiveness of a player can certainly vary from that pre-conceived notion we have while looking at a lineup. But, it’s more of a ceiling-raising move for the rest of the season and we truly wonder if Martone can take full advantage of the opportunity in this top nine and replacing a player who doesn’t bring a whole lot.
