12:00 PM: Martone’s signing has been made official, the Flyers announced. The entry-level deal carries the standard three years of term, and he will join the big club immediately.
The 19-year-old joins the group with high stakes still in play, as the Flyers are battling for an unexpected playoff berth. Despite their standing, things might be moving along quickly. Martone could debut as soon as Thursday against Detroit, according to Kevin Kurz of The Athletic, but time will tell in the coming days.
9:00 AM: The Philadelphia Flyers are close to signing top prospect Porter Martone to an entry-level contract, reports Kevin Weekes of ESPN. The signing should happen at some point later today, per Jackie Spiegel of the Philadelphia Inquirer. Yesterday, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman indicated the Flyers’ signing of Martone “could move very quickly.”
The news comes just one day after Martone’s NCAA season ended with Michigan State’s stunning loss to Wisconsin in the regional playoff finals held in Worcester, Mass. The Spartans held a 3-1 lead with just five minutes remaining in the contest, but the Badgers scored two goals in under a minute to tie the game before taking it in overtime.
The loss appears to have ended Martone’s NCAA career after just one season. The Canadian forward joined Michigan State after a three-year OHL career that saw him develop into not only one of the league’s best players, but also one of the game’s top prospects. Martone was recently ranked No. 27 on Elite Prospects’ ranking of NHL-affiliated players under the age of 23. He scored 25 goals and 50 points in his lone season of college hockey.
Martone’s unique blend of size and dynamic offensive talent have made him a highly anticipated prospect, and with today’s expected signing, he will enter the pro ranks during a crucial state of the Flyers’ season. They remain in the playoff hunt in an extremely competitive Eastern Conference, sitting at 84 points through 72 games played.
A 7-2-1 stretch in their last 10 games has given Philadelphia a slim chance to make the playoffs, as they’ll be just one point behind the Columbus Blue Jackets for the final wild card spot, with the same number of games played, if they can manage to defeat the Dallas Stars later today.
Given how important the next few games are for the Flyers, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see Martone begin his pro career in the AHL, similar to how the Boston Bruins have handled fellow top prospect James Hagens. Hagens was taken one spot behind Martone at last year’s draft, and signed an ATO to allow him to begin his pro career at the AHL level.
With that said, it’s also possible the Flyers will simply sign Martone to his entry-level deal and plug him directly into their NHL lineup. There is an argument to be made that Martone is a little bit more NHL-ready than Hagens, but it ultimately comes down to what the Flyers and Martone believe is the best step for his development.
After what happened with Cutter, I don’t think Danny and the Flyers brass will have any reason to put Martone anywhere else besides the big club.
Michigan State may not have a team like they had this season for some time to come. No more Augustine in goal and now Martone is gone as well. Took their foot off the gas late in last nights game and it cost them.
Screw this AHL to start if he is a superstar then put him into the fire right away.
Between the Flyers situation with Cutter and not drafting Caufield because he was “to small”, the Flyers cost themselves alot of goals.