The Philadelphia Flyers didn't have a playoff or bust mandate entering the season. Rather, they wanted to see their younger players take that next step, such as Matvei Michkov has made some strides recently after a rough start to the season. Even with the injuries across the roster, and their brutal play entering the new year, the Flyers still find themselves in the thick of the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Regardless of how this season ends, the Flyers should view the season as a success. The next step will be how they tackle the offseason, and to see if there are any prospects that could make their way to Philadelphia for next season.
ESPN's Rachel Kryshak published an article ranking each NHL team's top prospect. For the Flyers, Kryshak has Michigan State forward Porter Martone as their top prospect, calling him "one of the smartest prospects in the NHL pipeline."
Flyers' Porter Martone highlighted by ESPN as 'one of the smartest prospects in the NHL pipeline'
"He constantly scans, anticipates defenders' movements, manipulates coverage and delivers passes that are translatable to the NHL. His dual-threat shot is a violent power transfer through his entire body, and he also has the deception to rip a no-look short-side wrister that freezes goaltenders," writes Kryshak.
This is what Flyers fans want to hear.
The Flyers used their sixth overall pick on Martone in last year's NHL Draft. The 6-foot-3, 208-pound forward spent this season playing for the Michigan State Spartans, alongside fellow top NHL prospect Charlie Stramel from the Minnesota Wild. In 33 games for the Spartans, Martone recorded 24 goals, 23 assists, and a +27 plus/minus ratio.
Kryshak does mention that there are question marks surrounding Martone, such as his "pace of play and physical engagement," while calling him a "soft-skill player in a power forward's body."
However, Kryshak provided Martone's projection on the Flyers, and it's as a future top line winger in Philadelphia.
"But if his skating and willingness to use his powerful body continue to improve, at 6-3, 208 pounds, Philadelphia has a potential top-line winger and elite power-play weapon. Philadelphia is the perfect place for a power forward to thrive, and Martone has all the tools to be a dominant NHL winger," writes Kryshak.
It will remain to be seen if Martone will join the Flyers once Michigan State's season is over. Whenever his time does come, it's obvious that he could be a building block for the team for the foreseeable future. He has incredible potential, but it's up to the coaching staff to ensure he has the best chance for success when he does make the jump to the pros.