Porter Martone and Matvei Michkov are wasting no time making a case as one of the Flyers’ most intriguing young pairings.
The early signs have been strong, and they showed up again in the Flyers’ October 18, 2026 game against the Ottawa Senators. Playing together for much of the night, often alongside Noah Cates, the two forwards had a hand in both of Philadelphia’s non-empty-net goals.
Michkov found Martone for a slick tip-in, then Martone answered by setting up a rebound chance that Michkov finished on the power play. The puck kept finding the right stick, and the two kept finding each other.
Martone said the connection has been building over time. “Yeah, I mean, that was our third game together.
So, I mean, I think we’re kind of starting to read off each other, see our tendencies, see what we like, and, you know, it went to show tonight… I think as time goes on and kind of develop more chemistry, you know, I think we can… bring a lot to this team.” He added that their relationship has grown away from the rink as well, saying, “We’ve gotten a lot closer.
I think we can be in this league for a long time.”
Michkov was just as positive when asked about skating with Martone. He called him a “special kid,” said he wants to support him “every time” on the ice and “for life too,” and confirmed that the two have chemistry off the ice as well.
The buzz around the “Mich to Marty” connection has come fast, and for good reason. Martone, 19, and Michkov, 21, have already started showing the kind of give-and-go instincts and shared comfort that can change the look of a line. Power-play plans earlier in the season had already pointed toward the two creating two-on-ones down low, and that vision is starting to take shape.
It’s not as if everything happened out of nowhere. The pair has been building this over a handful of games, with more steady time together on the ice. But the payoff has arrived quickly, and the Flyers have already seen what that combination can do when they needed a spark.
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