Patrick Sharp and John LeClair both saw Porter Martone at Michigan State.
And both were impressed.
But the club’s hockey ops advisors did not expect the 19-year-old to do what he did when he joined the Flyers.
“He was well-prepared for pro hockey,” Sharp said this month at development camp. “But for him to step in in the middle of a playoff chase and be an impact player right away with the great players we had on the Flyers, to be counted on in the playoffs was, I think, really special. It’s hard to do. You don’t see that very often.”
After a standout freshman season with the Spartans, the 2025 sixth overall pick signed his entry-level contract and made his NHL debut at the end of March. It didn’t come on a team playing out the string; the Flyers were in crunch time of a postseason push. Martone was unfazed, putting up 10 points (four goals, six assists) over the club’s final nine games as the Flyers snapped their five-year playoff drought.
“I don’t think anybody realized there would be that big of an impact, but I knew Porter was a pro,” LeClair said in June on NBC Sports Philadelphia’s Flyers Talk podcast. “He was going to have some kind of an impact; the impact he had was tremendous. I don’t think it’s a fluke at all, I think he’s just going to keep building on that.”
The Flyers are eager to see what Martone can do in a full season. In a way, the 6-foot-3 winger is like an offseason addition for Danny Briere. The general manager didn’t make a huge splash this summer, despite taking a swing at Leo Carlsson. The Flyers gave their youngsters opportunities last season and were rewarded for it. They’re hoping to continue that this season, especially with Martone.
By giving some of the prospects a shot at full-time roles, Briere has stashed the team’s cap space for now. The Flyers have to sign two more restricted free agents, but they have almost $15 million, per PuckPedia.com. It’s money they could use down the road when they feel the situation is right.
“There are things that we’re constantly looking at and trying to improve,” Briere said a little over two weeks ago. “We worked hard to get this cap space. You remember three years ago, how we were in a really bad shape there. We worked hard. And what we want to make sure is that we can use it in a proper manner where it’s going to help the team moving forward.”
In the playoffs, the Flyers had three rookies combine for nine points. Martone delivered two goals and three assists, Alex Bump scored a pair and Denver Barkey collected a goal and an assist.
All three players were in development camp this summer with the organization’s prospects. Prior to taking the ice, the Flyers showed a highlight reel of Martone, Bump and Barkey from the postseason.
Not a bad way to motivate the camp.
“It shows that the process works and every year these kids are getting better when they come back to camp,” Sharp said. “In the case with those players, they played a huge role for us with the big club down the stretch and in the playoffs. So that’s pretty inspiring for our draft picks and the guys that are returning.”
Martone’s maturity has been on display ever since he was drafted. Even though he had a long season followed by the 2026 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship, he had no problem with being at development camp.
“What I like about Porter is that he’s here and when he speaks to all of you or his teammates in the dressing room, he’s always saying the right thing,” Sharp said. “He has incredible leadership qualities.”
In the fall, Martone will have his first training camp.
“I got a jump-start last year when I got to come in at the end of the season, but there’s still a team to make and a job to earn,” he said last month. “That’s my mindset this offseason, to come earn a job on this team and just be an important part of this team next year.
“You saw the steps that we made, got the playoffs back to Philadelphia, but I think there’s something more. That’s something I’m excited to bring, a full season of what I can do to help this team in any little way. But first, it’s just taking it day by day, getting better throughout the summer, come into camp and earn a job on this team.”
Sharp was “thrilled” when the Flyers drafted Martone last summer. He then saw the hype go from the college level to the highest level in the same season, a transition not many can make at Martone’s age.
“He was an easy player to root for,” Sharp said. “I talk about the habits and the lifestyle stuff off the ice, he knows what he’s doing.
“I was surprised at how easy he made the game look at the NHL level at times. He knows as well as [anybody] that it doesn’t get any easier. The league is difficult and he has got a lot of work to do and he’s putting that work in.”