Philadelphia Flyers 2025 Top 25 Under 25, No. 2: Porter Martone

Welcome to Broad Street Hockey’s Summer 2025 Top Under 25! The series is back, and with the Philadelphia Flyers focusing so much on the future, it’s more important than ever. Join us as we rank the 25 best players under the age of 25.

No. 2: Porter Martone

2024-25 Primary League/Team: Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
2024-25 Statistics: 37 G, 61 A in 57 GP
Age as of 9/15/2025: 18 (10/26/2006)
Acquired Via: 2025 NHL Entry Draft — Round 1, Pick 6

In the final week of the Top 25 Under 25, slotting in at No. 2 is one of the franchise’s cornerstones: 2025 No. 6 overall pick Porter Martone.

Martone is an absolutely essential piece of the Flyers rebuild, and it’s unquestionable that – like Matvei Michkov – the Flyers need him to hit in order for the whole plan to work. So, let’s get into what has made Martone such a special prospect, and what our expectations are for him moving forward.

How did Martone’s 2024-25 season go? Is his stock trending up or down from where it was entering the year?

In his first and only season with the Brampton Steelheads, Martone was one of the most dynamic players in all of Canadian juniors. If you had the chance to watch any of Martone’s games last year, there was a feeling that Martone was a man amongst boys in the OHL. He could score in every single way, in every single game situation. Right at the net? Definitely. On the rush? For sure. Creating chances from the corners and the boards? Also a machine. There was an incredible amount of variance to Martone’s game that just made him impossible to defend at the junior level, and that variance made him a projected top-10 pick all season long.

All of that led to him scoring 37 goals and 98 points in just 57 games for the Steelheads and was the most productive draft-eligible player in the OHL not named Michael Misa. In this century, among that same age group, Martone’s 1.72 points per game ranks him 16th. Better than very good NHLers like Tyler Seguin, Alex DeBrincat, Andrei Svechnikov, Nick Suzuki, Logan Couture, and he had the exact same production rate as former first-overall pick and possible Hall-of-Famer, Steven Stamkos.

Martone already has an NHL frame, measured at 6-foot-3 and 209 pounds, and was totally fearless in using it to his advantage in the OHL. His directness in the offensive zone, his fearlessness in physical situations, and his ability to just bully players are hallmarks of Martone’s game. At the college level, Martone’s certainly going to be tested more than he was with Brampton, but there’s little doubt that he’s going to be able to hold his own physically.

So, Martone’s stock is on the up, especially considering how he challenged himself by heading to the NCAA instead of just dominating the OHL for another season. That’s a really good sign about the mental makeup of the player as well, as it was reportedly Martone’s decision to head to the college level for more of a challenge.

What are we expecting from Martone this season? What should we be looking for from him?

Martone made the really smart decision to move to the NCAA ranks this season, where he’ll play for Michigan State in the Big 10. It’ll be fascinating to see Martone against more mature competition, in a conference that includes Penn State’s Gavin McKenna and Jackson Smith. It’ll also be very fun to watch Martone alongside fellow Flyers’ draft pick Shane Vansaghi on Michigan State, as we’ll see if the two bruising and skilled wingers can develop some chemistry in the NCAA.

It’s not necessarily an expectation, but it is very reasonable to think Martone will be in the Hobey Baker race this season. There’s a world where Martone, who’s excelled at every level in his career, will just continue to bulldoze the opposition in the NCAA. He’s joining a Michigan State team that is one of the premier programs in college hockey, filled with top talent (like Columbus’ Cayden Lindstrom), and hungry to avenge last season’s shock first-round loss to Cornell. It’s a very favorable development situation for Martone to enter, so the ingredients might be there for a special NCAA season from Martone.

If that special season happens, Martone looks ready, and the Flyers are in the playoff mix come April, it’s very much a possibility that he’d get an April NHL look. Based on what we know about the player, Martone just feels like the classic April jolt to a playoff roster, but that’s a question for months from now.

How does Martone fit in the Flyers’ rebuild? Is it likely he’s going to be a part of the next good Flyers team?

As we alluded to earlier, Martone is a cornerstone of this rebuild and a lot of the Flyers’ future upside depends on how elite Martone can become. He’s not quite Matvei Michkov level of make-or-break, but he’s arguably pretty close, considering the capital the Flyers invested in him.

In a draft that everyone expected the Flyers to come away with a high-end center like James Hagens, the Flyers doubled down on the strategy of accumulating elite talent on the wings by selecting Martone. That’s what makes him more make-or-break than most in this organization, because if the Flyers ultimately swing and miss on a 1C in the next few years, the Flyers’ excellence on the wings is going to need to make up for it. That excellence on the wings will most likely be led by Michkov and Martone, so it’s safe to say that Martone should be a massive part of the next good Flyers team.

What do we think Martone’s ultimate NHL upside is, and how likely is it that he gets to something approaching that?

Martone’s high-end upside is a slam-dunk, no doubt first line winger. As it was often pointed out during the leadup to the draft, the most popular Martone comparison was Matthew Tkachuk. So, Martone’s ultimate upside is often perceived to be the archetype of Tkachuk, a bruising pest of a skilled winger that every fan would love to have on their team. If he reaches a Tkachuk level of player, he’s going to be an absolute fan favorite in Philadelphia.

Martone also has quite a high floor compared to most prospects, mostly due to how polished his game already is. The things he really needs to improve are largely minimal, and he plays in such a direct way in the offensive zone that it’s hard to imagine a world where Martone isn’t an effective NHLer. He’s going to need to improve on a few attributes, namely his skating, to reach his elite ceiling, but there’s an effective NHL player in Martone right now.

Previously in Philadelphia Flyers Summer 2025 Top 25 Under 25:

Talking Points