It is difficult to imagine where the Philadelphia Flyers might be in the playoff race if they hadn't signed top prospect Porter Martone as soon as his NCAA season ended.
Impressively, Martone, 19, is already a point-per-game player in his nascent NHL career, posting six points in six games with the Flyers thus far.
The 2025 No. 6 overall pick is riding a three-game point streak, with two two-point efforts bookending that streak.
Discipline, like with Matvei Michkov, has been a bit of an issue early, but that will work itself out over time and with further experience.
It helps, too, that Martone has already established himself as a top-line staple next to veterans Christian Dvorak and Travis Konecny. It's evident that head coach Rick Tocchet already trusts Martone in all phases of the game, aside from the penalty kill.
Over the last six games, among Flyers forwards who have played in at least four of those games, Martone ranks third in 5-on-5 Corsi percentage at 56.29%, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Only Konecny (56.49%) and, surprisingly, Luke Glendening (58.11%) rank higher.
Some other notes: the Flyers have out-scored opponents 4-1 at 5-on-5 with Martone on the ice to go with an impressive 61.97%.
With that all said, it's remarkable that the Flyers managed to add a player of this caliber to the fold in the middle of a playoff chase, especially with Nikita Grebenkin going down with an injury, Tyson Foerster just returning from his own injury, and Alex Bump in and out of lineup.
Martone solidifying himself atop the lineup helped the dust settle below him, and he and Tocchet deserve every bit of credit for that.
Aside from his on-ice exploits, Martone's intangibles have been equally impressive thus far.
Based on a few conversations I've had with team sources, there is a feeling inside the Flyers' building that Martone could indeed emerge as one of the team's top leaders, or perhaps become the captain of the group outright, in the future.
The 19-year-old's comments after a brutal loss to the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday night only further solidify that idea.
"Just gotta regroup, for us. We got three games left to control our own destiny, so, go out there and play the best three games of our year," Martone said postgame.
"Gotta flush it down the toilet. It's quick turnaround, so, come back tomorrow, it's a new day. Just gotta go try to win a game in Winnipeg."
Martone also acknowledged his part of responsibility for the team's lackluster disciple over the last handful of games; he's exhibiting self-awareness and accountability while keeping his head on his shoulders.
Certainly, the hype around Martone is both real and justified, and will only increase as he continues to improve over the years.