Porter Martone is the total package as the NHL Draft's top wing prospect

From a quiet rookie season in the Ontario Hockey League two years ago to a top-ranked prospect at the 2025 NHL Draft, Porter Martone has earned his ranking through his offensive instincts and passion for the sport.

The captain of the OHL's Brampton Steelheads tallied 37 goals and 98 points in 57 games played during the 2024-25 season.

As a U18 player for Team Canada, Martone surpassed the career points record set by Connor Bedard with 23 points in 14 games across two tournaments in 2023 and 2024. The 18-year-old winger was also the only draft-eligible player to skate in the IIHF World Championships this year with the likes of Sidney Crosby and Nathan MacKinnon.

But his scoring prowess is just one of the many facets of his game. Martone's exceptional puck handling mixed with his grit makes him a unique and multi-talented prospect that is well-suited for NHL action in the future.

A blend of size and finesse

Standing at 6'3" and 204 lb, Martone has taken on the identity of a power forward. Always willing to get in the mix to defend his teammates, he plays with a level of compete and drive that is clear when watching him play. As he develops, his ability to lay out big hits will also grow with him.

But Martone offers much more than just toughness, conjuring up the image of someone like Corey Perry. Martone is highly regarded for his vision on the ice and the instinctual knowledge of where his teammates are to both set up plays and captialize on scoring chances.

His size makes him a strong netfront presence, but Martone is even better when he is able to find open ice. He has refined his skating a lot over the years, and still has a ways to go in terms of speed, but it's his agility that stands out. He has a knack for detecting the gaps in coverage and weaving through those openings to generate opportunities offensively.

"He's good with the puck, sets up plays. If you're double-teaming him, he makes passes that other guys can't make, and if you leave him alone, he's deadly around the net. He's an agitator, gets under people's skin. "

Brampton coach James Richmond to NHL.com

Another area that Martone's agility shines through is his stickhandling and puck movement. It's not uncommon to see him make some dazzling moves like bringing a puck between his legs or finding an impressive cross-ice outlet to feed a teammate.

Elite Prospects has praised Martone's playmaking ability, writing that he "builds deft passing plays, moves ahead of the opposition, and preys on defenders’ and goalies’ expectations, manipulating them to open up great scoring possibilities."

Martone's greatest strength, though, is his innate hockey IQ. Scanning and predicting the play, seeking out those open areas -- Martone has something that can't be taught, and it will carry him a long way as he continues to improve the finer details of his game like skating.

Is Porter Martone NHL ready?

Some scouts, like Simon St. Laurence for TSLH, have voiced that Martone has been able to take advantage of playing against younger, less developed players and goalies. That raises the question of when Martone will be ready to transition to the big league.

Martone is rumored to be eyeing the NCAA for next season, potentially with Penn State, so that would give him the chance to play against some more well-established talent including some fellow NHL prospects.

If he does choose to go the college route as expected, Martone will likely stay there for at least one full season if not longer, so he is at minimum a year or so off from making his NHL debut. But with some more fine-tuning, Martone will be the type of player to seamlessly make the jump to the NHL level thanks to his hockey IQ and compete level.