The Flyers didn't wait long to get Porter Martone onto their roster. Michigan State was stunned by Wisconsin in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA tournament on Saturday night. 24 hours later, Martone was inside the Wells Fargo Center, watching the Flyers beat the Stars in overtime with a fresh contract in hand.
The Flyers' top prospect didn't need a ton of time to make the decision either. While it was devastating not to make the Frozen Four and potentially play for a national championship, the chance to come to the NHL at a crucial time of year was an easy decision.
"I felt we really created a brotherhood there at Michigan State, and I love that place so much. But then when I woke up in the morning, you get thinking of what's the next step," Martone said on Monday morning. "To have the opportunity to come here with the Flyers and help them in a playoff push I think was a no-brainer for me, and I’m really excited to be here.”
The Flyers have been one of the best teams in the NHL since the Olympic break and sit a mere two points out of both the division and wild card. Ideally, they would need to have at least a three-point gap to avoid any tie-breaking scenarios that wouldn't be in their favor. They are 8-1-1 in their last 10 games, coming off a back-to-back sweep of the Red Wings and Stars.
Now is the perfect time for someone like Martone to add another spark to the lineup. He could be one of many younger players making an impact for the Flyers. Denver Barkey and Alex Bump have already begun making their marks. Matvei Michkov has found a higher level to his game recently that the team desperately needed.
It was evident that the decision to jump from junior hockey to the NCAA was a good one. Martone put on over 10 pounds of muscle during his time, crediting the entire Michigan coaching staff for helping him develop and learn better habits. Transitioning from college to the NHL will also be more seamless than if Martone had come from the OHL. The level of play between the two is vastly different. At the college level, Martone was able to learn the quickness and pace that it will take more naturally since the game is already faster in the NCAA.
And while balancing his new adjustment to another level of hockey, Martone made sure to keep an eye on what the Flyers were doing as well. It helped that he had members of the organization checking on him as well. Patrick Sharp, John LeClair, Anthony Stewart, and Riley Armstrong were just a few people who kept tabs on what Martone was doing and ways that he could improve his game. Armstrong, in particular, would go over video with him every week.
So he has been connected to the Flyers the entire time since he was drafted sixth overall last summer.
"I've been following the Flyers the whole season. Right now, it's the most exciting time of the year when you can kind of have that push to get into the playoffs. And you know, you don't want to look too far in the standings, but you know, they're right there. And just being able to come into this group, I know the Flyers, they got a great room down there. Just the things I've heard, and I'm excited to join it and just help any way I can."
With the Flyers not holding practice on Monday, there is some uncertainty about where Martone will fit into the lineup. He was on the ice in the morning, but it was only with the normal healthy scratches and Tyson Foerster. It would be fun to see him and Michkov together, but one of them would have to play on their off wing to do so. Michkov had primarily played on the left for a large chunk of the season, so it wouldn't be out of the question if they wanted to do it. It could be equally as electric to put him with Trevor Zegras as well.
Sticking Martone with someone like Noah Cates would be more of a practical decision to start, though. Cates has become a dependable center for the Flyers and could be someone that Martone could learn the ropes from. He would have someone with a strong defensive game who could open up things for him on the offensive end. Once Martone gets more comfortable, then you can play around with some other things.
While we don't know where Martone will line up, we do know that he will be on the ice when the Flyers take on the Capitals on Tuesday evening.
"Yeah, I feel 100%. You know, I'm pretty fresh ann I'm ready to go."