Porter Martone had so much buzz around him this summer, with folks betting big money on him to snag the 2026-27 Calder Memorial Trophy for rookie of the year honors. Seriously, this guy was seen as a lock, a true house on fire when he burst onto the scene in Philadelphia last March after Michigan State’s heartbreaking loss. He ripped off 10 points in just nine regular season games down the stretch and then dropped two game-winning goals in the opening round against the Penguins, both on the road. Last year, “Marty” combined for 15 points across 19 magical regular season and playoff games as the Flyers pushed into the second round. Everyone was ready for him to absolutely dominate his full rookie year.
The Slide From Superstar Hope to Twelfth Place
So, what happened? It hasn’t exactly been the runaway rookie performance everyone expected for the 20-year-old forward. Through the first quarter of the season, Martone has notched three goals and five assists for a total of eight points. That’s not terrible, but it’s not the Calder-winning pace we saw flashes of last year. Heading into Friday’s games, he’s sitting in twelfth place among all rookie point leaders. Ouch. He’s trailing Toronto’s Gavin McKenna, who leads all rookies by five points, and he’s also four points back from a bunch of seriously talented youngsters. We’re talking about Chicago’s Roman Kantserov, who’s already bagged nine goals to lead the pack, plus Vegas left winger Trevor Connelly, Washington’s defenseman Cole Hutson, Bruins center James Hagens, and San Jose’s Ivar Stenberg. And here’s the kicker: Philly has already played 21 games, which means a lot of other teams have games in hand. Those rookies ahead of Martone? They could easily pad their stats even more while Martone is watching.
Ice Time Isn’t the Only Answer
With three-quarters of the season still to go, everyone’s asking: can Martone claw his way back into the upper tier of rookies and genuinely contend for the award, potentially giving Philadelphia their first Calder winner ever? You’d think getting more playing time than his peers would be the easiest path. And Martone *is* averaging 14:12 of ice time per game so far. That’s actually more minutes than Gavin McKenna (13:56), James Hagens (13:20), and even Anaheim’s Judd Caulfield (13:36). But here’s the thing: McKenna is usually playing third-line minutes with Nick Paul and Dakota Joshua. He isn’t getting top billing with Auston Matthews, or even consistently on Toronto’s second line with John Tavares and William Nylander. Sure, McKenna did get a handful of games with Tavares and Nylander to start the season, but generally, he’s been sheltered five-on-five, not going head-to-head with the opposition’s toughest lines. Martone might be getting the minutes, but is he getting the *quality* opportunities?
The season is far from over, and “Marty” has shown he can flip a switch and dominate. The question isn’t if he *can* do it, but when he will.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Broad Street Hockey.
Leave a Reply