Porter Martone Set for NHL Debut with Hometown Flyers Tuesday

Porter Martone will make his NHL debut Tuesday at Capital One Arena. The 19-year-old right winger draws into the lineup against the Washington Capitals.

Line deployment and veteran support

Travis Konecny will move to the left wing to skate with Martone. The two skated together in exhibition games before last May’s IIHF men’s World Championship, with Macklin Celebrini as center in those matchups.

Christian Dvorak will center the trio. Dvorak is a 200-foot pivot who recently centered Alex Bump in his NHL debut.

Power-play role

Martone joins the first power-play unit. He will play alongside Konecny, Noah Cates, Rasmus Ristolainen, and Trevor Zegras.

Coach Rick Tocchet values another right-shot option on that unit. The addition should give Zegras more passing and shooting lanes.

Player profile and college production

Martone described himself at the scouting combine as a big, 200-foot power forward with a high hockey IQ. He said he can make plays and set up teammates.

At Michigan State, he scored 25 goals and recorded 50 points in 35 games. His 1.43 points per game ranked fourth nationally.

He was tied for sixth in points and tied for second in goals. Martone and Quinnipiac’s Ethan Wyttenbach were the only freshmen with 20 goals.

Coaching perspective and readiness

Tocchet cautioned against overloading the rookie. His message to Martone was simple: just play.

Konecny praised Martone’s willingness to learn. He said Martone listens and adapts quickly to feedback.

Team context and stakes

The Flyers called up Martone during a playoff push. A win Tuesday, plus losses by Columbus, Ottawa, and Detroit, would move Philadelphia into the second wild-card slot by points percentage.

The game is scheduled for 7 p.m. and will air on NBCSP.

Roster moves and goaltending

Martone is the fourth Flyer to take a rookie lap this season. He joins Alex Bump, Denver Barkey, and Ty Murchison.

Bump will be a healthy scratch for the first time this year. He has six points and played a season-low 9 minutes, 46 seconds against Dallas.

Dan Vladař is slated to start in goal. He is 24-12-7 with a .907 save percentage.

Vladař has faced Alex Ovechkin seven times and allowed three goals. One of those was No. 883, when Vladař played for the Calgary Flames.

He has not allowed an Ovechkin goal this season in two meetings. Ovechkin has 52 goals and 84 points in 81 regular-season games against Philadelphia.

Background and personal note

Martone grew up a Flyers fan and attended a Flyers game for his eighth birthday. His name appeared on the video board for that visit.

He first donned a Flyers jersey on June 27 after being taken sixth overall in the draft. Since then, he has watched as many Flyers games as possible.

• Age: 19
• Draft: Sixth overall
• College: Michigan State — 35 games, 25 goals, 50 points
• Power-play unit: Konecny, Martone, Cates, Ristolainen, Zegras
• Goaltender: Dan Vladař (24-12-7, .907)

Filmogaz.com will follow Martone’s first NHL action and report developments after the game.