Porter Martone ready for his first full season with the Philadelphia Flyers

Porter Martone is preparing for the spotlight that comes with his first full NHL season after the impact he made at the end of last campaign. The 19-year-old helped the Flyers return to the playoffs after five years, scored 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) in his first nine NHL games and became the first teenager in league history to score the game-winning goal in his first two playoff games.

According to the NHL, he is considered a candidate for the Calder Trophy and is expected to contribute to improving the team’s power play, which ranked last in the league last season; he is also ranked second on the prospect list for the 2026–27 season. Martone says the pressure does not frighten him — quite the opposite: “I like high-pressure moments,” he said, stressing that he feels motivated by the expectations around him.

His arrival in the lineup also featured standout moments of form: in the game against Washington on March 31 he recorded five shots on goal, while two days later against Detroit he logged his first assist and nine shots on goal, a record for him among rookies that season. In the last ten regular-season games he had 32 shots on goal, more than any other Flyers player, and scored at least one point in the last six games of the season (4 goals, 5 assists). His teammates immediately appreciated his impact: Trevor Zegras said Martone exceeded expectations, while defenseman Jamie Drysdale notes that he knows how to manage slumps and has a special knack for decisive moments.

Martone also showed competitive maturity earlier in his career: captain of his Ontario Hockey League team as a 17-year-old, Michigan State’s leader in goals and points as an 18-year-old freshman and co-goals leader as Canada’s captain at the 2026 World Junior Championship. After representing Canada at the 2026 IIHF World Championship, where he recorded five points (1 goal, 4 assists) in 10 games, he took a few weeks off before returning to preparations for the upcoming season.

The main focus of his work this summer has been improving his skating and speed; at the Flyers’ development camp he worked intensively on power skating and technical details. Player development director Riley Armstrong noticed visible progress, saying Martone was present at most sessions and has taken important steps to strengthen the physical aspects of his game. Martone himself insists he will keep working every day to be better and to contribute consistently over the 84 games of the season.

The combination of technical skills, a mindset for handling pressure and specific work in training puts Martone at the center of expectations at the Flyers this season; he is expected to play a key role in the lineup and in improving specific phases of the game, as the NHL reports.