Porter Martone wasted no time making his case last season, and now he’s entering the new year with real Calder Trophy buzz behind him.
After putting up some of the best numbers in the NCAA, Martone stepped right into the Flyers’ playoff chase and made an immediate dent. The production came fast.
He had more multi-point games, three, than games in which he was held off the scoresheet, two. He also closed the season with a six-game point streak, piling up four goals and nine points along the way.
The postseason didn’t slow him down either. In 10 playoff games, Martone tied for the team lead with two goals and finished one point behind Trevor Zegras with five.
That kind of arrival is why Martone has positioned himself as a strong candidate to become the Flyers’ first-ever Calder Trophy winner. Among the incoming rookie class, he already has something a few other favorites do not: NHL experience that actually mattered. Gavin McKenna and Ivar Stenberg bring plenty of intrigue, and Stenberg has played professional hockey in the SHL, but Martone has already shown he can handle the NHL pace and produce when the games are tighter and more meaningful.
There’s still a benchmark he’ll have to chase. Since 2015-16, every Calder winner has reached at least 50 points.
Matthew Barzal set the bar absurdly high in 2017-18 with 85 points, while Artemi Panarin won a few years earlier after a 77-point season. A few winners have finished below 50, but that remains the usual line.
Thirty goals, while not mandatory in recent years, would also give his candidacy a major boost.
Still, simply landing in that range won’t be enough on its own.
Martone’s next step is to become one of Philadelphia’s main offensive drivers. He should have a top-six role waiting for him, most likely on the top line, where he can skate alongside more established NHL talent. He also looks set for the top power-play unit, and his mix of skill, size, and toughness could make him a headache for opponents if he’s used around the net.
If he can open the season the way he finished the last one, his case gets a lot stronger. The rookie race won’t wait for him, but a steady scoring pace will keep him in the conversation.
Consistency matters here. A 50- or 60-point season looks a lot better if the points come regularly instead of in bursts.
That’s the real test over an 84-game season. Martone has already shown what he can do in a short stretch; now he has to prove it wasn’t just a hot finish.
And it won’t be only about offense. If he can make an impact in other areas, he’ll look like a more complete player.
Point totals matter, but all-around value matters too.
In that small sample last season, Martone held his own. The Flyers had slightly better play with him on the ice, and while those numbers should even out over time, the early signs were encouraging.
One wrinkle in his favor is also one of the hurdles in front of him: the talent around him. McKenna is expected to skate with Auston Matthews or William Nylander, both proven top producers. Martone can answer that in his own way if he shows he can lift the players next to him and make that line better.
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Chris Pronger recently put the task in stark terms, noting how hard it is to assemble a true Cup contender without elite draft help, even if it can be done. For Danny Briere, the challenge is making sure the Flyers do not rush the process, which is why cap flexibility remains part of the plan as they look for the right moment to keep improving without boxing themselves in. [Read more 🡒]