PORTER MARTONE

2024-10-28

Scout: Sasha Lagarde

Skating:

Porter Martone may not be the fastest on the ice, but his solid stride and strong foundation make him highly effective. While his top speed is average, his balance and strength allow him to stay composed and sturdy under pressure, making it hard for opponents to knock him off the puck. What he lacks in agility agility, he makes up in edgework, enabling him to maneuver efficiently, giving him the ability to adjust and react quickly. With a solid base, he has a promising foundation to further develop his skating, which could amplify his impact on both ends of the rink as he refines his technique.

Passing/Handling:

Martone stands out for their remarkable ability to handle the puck in tight spaces, especially around the net and along the boards, where split-second decisions and a great set of hands are crucial. For a bigger guy, Martone's stickhandling allows him to control the puck effectively in traffic, maintaining possession even when closely checked by defenders. This skill creates opportunities in situations where others might struggle, as they are able to shield the puck, deke around opponents, and find passing or shooting lanes that would otherwise be blocked. He is an excellent passer and for me, it stands out as his best offensive tool. Martone and Slafkovsky share this ability to be big guys who can really dish the puck. Both players have good shots but their passing is what allows them to be dynamic contributors as power forwards.

Shooting:

I like his shot a lot. He not only has a nifty release for such a big guy but that comes with a heaviness to it as well. He's able to release on a wrist shot, on reception for a one-timer and can be quite nimble with a quick elevation on a backhand. With that being said, I still think his passing is his best tool along with the etangible skill around the net. His shot will open up more options in terms of passing as well, so the fact that his shot is already a monster tool will only help him be a multi-facetted offensive tool moving forward.

IQ (Vision, Anticipation, Panic/Poise):

This si the area that Martone need to improve on and it's his ability to stay consistent in his off-puck reads as well as his work rate. For me, this all fits into IQ but Martone does possess good anticpation and vision on the offensive side of the puck. Overall, it's hard to gauge exactly where he stands in terms of reading the ice after 4-5 games watched, but this area is always one to improve on for any prospect.

Forechecking:

Solid forechecker, will often outwork guys along the boards in the offensive zone in order to set up his teammates or to work the puck towards the net where he can use his unique skillset to power pucks towards to oppenents goalie. He would be a much better forechecker if he was able to pick up his pace as sometimes he just doesn't have the footspeed to get to the places he needs to be. However, I think he has the offensive drive to make this a consistent part of his game and as a power-forward profile kind of guy, he will need to be able to forecheck in order to be a true top-6 in the NHL.

Defense:

Defense wasn't the brightest for Martone in my viewings as he sometimes looked a little lost in the defensive zone, getting outworked and outsmarted by other player. He needs to work on his off-puck movements and awareness in the D zone, as he comes off as a liability at times. Due to his sheer size, he gets away with a lot on the junior leagues but this will be a problem for him in the NHL or any other pro league. Martone needs to put in the same effort that he does in the O zone than he does in the D zone.

Best Asset:

Passing ability/Net Front skill

Biggest Concern:

Pace/Skating

Top Tier/Role Potential:

Top Line Winger

Justification for Top Tier Assessment:

If he can put everything together with more consistentcy, he can be a top-3 player out of this draft class. With an improved skating stride mixed in with high skill and vision, he can be a true dominant force in the offensive zone.

50th Percentile Tier/Role:

Top 9 power forward Winger with Powerplay ability

Justification for 50th Percentile Tier Assessment:

HIs pace is a concern and it could cripple him in terms of hitting his ceiling. Also, his defensive play is a little inconsistent which could drop him down the lineup at times.

Stylistic Comparable:

Brady Tkachuk