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Top of the Draft: Introducing Porter Martone

A blossoming power forward who could be on his way to Chicago on Friday night with the No. 3 pick.

Posted on by L_B_R
Source: Brampton Steelheads (Charles Warburton)

Porter Martone is a skilled, power-forward type that blends elite playmaking, high hockey IQ, and a strong physical presence. His emergence as a top talent in juniors, along with his international resume, make him one of the obvious choices to be taken near the top of the 2025 NHL draft. With a few key areas left to refine – primarily skating and defensive consistency – he’s got high potential to be a star-level NHL player.

Summary

Martone really rose up the draft rankings over the last couple of years, emerging as a legit top-five possibility thanks to recent back-to-back impressive offensive performances in the OHL. With the Mississauga Steelheads in 2022-23, he racked up 76 points (34 G, 43 A) in 65 games between the regular and post seasons. This was a good step forward in his second year in the OHL, but his third year is where he really cemented himself as one of the best in this upcoming draft class.

In 2024–25, Martone’s blend of on-ice dominance and steady leadership made him the obvious choice to captain the newly rebranded Brampton Steelheads. With this new role, he elevated his game even more, exploding for 98 points (37 goals, 61 assists) in 57 regular-season games and nine points (4 goals, 5 assists) in six postseason games. He had the second best points-per-game rate among draft-eligible players in the OHL (behind Michael Misa) and broke the Steelheads franchise records for most points and most assists in a single season. 

This performance in the OHL alone marks him as one of the top offensive players in this upcoming draft class, but Martone also made quite the name for himself on the international stage. 

Starting at the 2022 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge, he tallied 12 points (7 G, 5A) in seven games with Canada and played a key role in the team’s run to a silver medal. He followed that up with a solid U18 World Championship tournament with six points (3 G, 3 A) and a bronze, impressive considering he was one of only four 16-year-olds on the roster. He wrapped up the 2022-23 season with a gold medal at the Hlinka Gretzky Cup five points (2 G, 3 A) in five games.

Next in 2023-24, Martone captained Canada’s U18 squad to gold at the IIHF U18 World Championship with 17 points (5 G, 12 A) in seven games. That point total was historic: not only did he (and teammate Gavin McKenna) set a new record for most points by a Canadian in a single tournament, Martone surpassed Connor Bedard as Canada’s all-time leading scorer in the U18 tournament (23 points over two tournaments).

Finally, Martone was one of just three draft-eligible players to suit up for Canada at the 2025 World Juniors (others being defenseman Matthew Schaefer and goaltender Ryerson Ivankovic). He was also the only 2025 draft-eligible player named to Canada’s roster for the 2025 IIHF World Championship, originally brought in as an extra skater who later skated in two games. 

Strengths

Martone possesses the size and offensive tools that check the boxes for many NHL teams, but it’s his elite hockey IQ and inventive playmaking that truly elevate his projection as a top-six winger with significant upside.

Standing 6-foot-3 and weighing 208 pounds (as of the NHL Combine), Martone brings a prototypical power-forward frame which he uses well. He’s strong along the boards and a disruptor on the forecheck. Martone is especially good in front of the net: he’s great at creating screens or deflections, finishing rebounds, and causing chaos for opposing goalies. While he doesn’t play as heavy as expected, he also doesn’t shy from physical engagement, and he’s got some rat tendencies in his game that add an edge.

Although not as robust a toolkit as some other shooters in this draft, Martone does have one of the heaviest shots and he’s quite accurate. He’s better at finding soft spaces and driving hard to the net to shoot, rather having an elite shot, though.

Martone’s main billing is as a playmaker, arguably the best in the draft class. He boasts soft hands, obviously, but it’s his hockey sense and vision that are among the most advanced aspects of his game. He consistently reads the play in advance and can thread passes through tight lanes and set up teammates from all over the offensive zone effectively — including into high-danger areas. Martone also excels in slowing the game down and making smart decisions, especially on the power play, where he can quarterback a unit with high creativity.

Martone’s defensive game is more of a work in progress, but he reacts pretty well under pressure and often errs on the side of making low-risk decisions when exiting the zone or managing the puck in tight space.

He’s also shown strong leadership (on and off the ice) while consistently showing up in big moments, displaying poise when performing in high-stakes situations. These are the types of intangibles that many NHL management groups will see as icing on an already highly skilled cake.

Weaknesses

Skating is the most critiqued skill for Martone, though this is overblown somewhat, as it’s just more average compared to many of his top-tier peers. Working on adding explosiveness to his stride and improvement to his edge work and fluidity could help him unlock another more dynamic level to his game.

Improved skating could also elevate his play-driving ability: he’s been fairly effective at the junior level, but there are some concerns regarding whether or not he could do so against faster, smarter defenders as he moves up leagues. He did have more issues in this area at the World Juniors and World Championship.

There’s some refinement needed in his offensive game to weed out some bad habits, like occasionally forcing low-percentage shots or opting to pass when shooting is the better move. Adding variety to his shooting arsenal would be good as well. These are not uncommon issues with playmakers, but it’s something to focus on to be more of a dual-threat. 

Defensively, Martone has gotten better, but consistency can be an issue, as he still experiences occasional lapses in positional awareness and puck support, particularly in high-tempo situations. He can sometimes lose his assignment or arrive late to defensive coverage, so he’ll need to work on his gap control and back checking.

While physicality is an overall strength of Martone as listed above, he’s not quite the type of hard-hitting power forward type ala the Tkachuk brothers, to whom he is oft compared. He’s shown flashes of that style, but those are inconsistent.

Additionally, there is some questioning if Martone is only as dominant offensively because he’s older, stronger and more physically developed than most of his peer group.

Quotes

NHL.com deputy managing editor Adam Kimelman noted that some scouts have likened Martone with some of the most well-known power-forwards in the NHL:

Scouts have compared Martone to Corey Perry and the Tkachuks, and his decision-making with the puck and high hockey IQ also stand out.

Daily Faceoff’s Steven Ellis doubled down on the Perry comparison:

Many NHL comparables have been thrown out to describe Martone, but the one mentioned the most is 2011 Hart Trophy winner Corey Perry. He clearly could score, having won the Maurice Richard in his MVP season, and was a consistent 60-plus point guy with over 100 penalty minutes during his prime years. That means winning battles in front of the net, along the boards and just about anywhere else.

But Scott Wheeler from The Athletic aptly pointed out that Martone doesn’t really hit the aggressive instigator mold of those players — at least not yet — and instead compared him to Mark Scheifele stylistically:

Martone uses the Tkachuk brothers and Corey Perry as his comps, and I’ve had other people use each of those as well, but those guys run hotter than he does. I’ve often thought about Scheifele — the No. 7 pick in his draft year — with his 6-foot-3, 200-pound listing, his 35-40 goals and 70-80 points per season, and his combination of skill, size and leadership with average skating. The position is the difference there.

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