Porter Martone Scouting Report: The Unique Power Forward

Porter Martone Scouting Report

Porter Martone of the Brampton Steelheads is a top eligible prospect for the 2025 NHL draft. A product of Peterborough, Ontario, and standing at six feet three inches and over 200 pounds, he already has NHL-ready size. Since becoming the 5th overall pick by the Sarnia Sting in the 2022 OHL draft, Martone has dominated the junior levels.

Because of his size, Martone is often seen as a power forward. However, he doesn’t use his body in the way many players of his size do, which makes him a unique case. I have pored through his highlights from years past and watched multiple Steelheads games from this season to study his play. In this article, I examine what he does well, what he can improve on, and help you understand who he is as a player.

What he does well:

Porter is extremely smart

Martone’s hockey IQ is excellent. He always keeps his head up with the puck and surveys the ice. On countless occasions, Martone seems to make passes without looking, finding teammates anywhere on the ice. It almost seems like he has eyes in the back of his head. On a couple of plays, Martone drives behind his opponent's net and gives a no-look, behind-the-back pass to a teammate in front of the net, leading the goalie to the wrong side. In other instances, Martone makes one-touch passes across the ice in the offensive zone to find a teammate open for a scoring opportunity. Martone always seems to make defenders forget where he is by keeping his feet moving and waiting for the right opportunity. He often finds himself wide open in dangerous areas around the net. Hockey IQ like Martone’s is hard to teach, so the fact that he already understands the game at a pro level has scouts salivating.

Porter is extremely poised and crafty for his size

Martone seems to play the game one step ahead of everyone. He calculates and understands what is going to happen before anyone else does, which helps him up close to the net. Porter is not afraid to get right up to defenders and the opponent’s goalie. A lot of Porter's goals are scored in tight to the net, where he drives and makes a quick move to score from just outside or inside the crease. His hands up close to the goalie are uncharacteristic for a player of his size, which makes him an extremely interesting player. No matter how close he is to the goalie, Martone never panics. He keeps his head up and can put the puck in the back of the net with an in-tight move or dish it off to an open teammate for a tap-in without even looking their way.

Martone is aggressive, and you can't take the puck off his stick

If there is a loose puck, Martone is jumping on it. He fights well in the corners and uses strong stick lifts to win battles. Any loose puck Martone is quick to pounce on, and before you can react, he is already past you, or the puck is with one of Martone’s teammates. In addition, because of his frame, Martone is able to shield defenders off the puck using his body and either get to the net or pass the puck off.

What he needs to work on:

His skating

Martone is a solid skater, but he is not very fast or great at accelerating. Instead, he keeps his feet moving, which allows him to glide by defenders rather than blowing past them. I would like to see him work on his speed and acceleration. If he can improve in these areas, he will be extremely hard to stop (not that he isn’t already nearly impossible to contain).

Drive to the net, Porter!

Martone has great size, but he doesn’t seem to utilize it all the time. I don't see him using his body to drive around defenders and crash the net. Instead, he glides through defenders on the rush and often dishes off a pass right before he hits the goalie crease. This isn’t a huge issue, as it shows he is selfless and likes to create opportunities with his teammates. However, I believe he should try shooting more after getting one-on-one with the goalie. This will result in more goals as he is extremely crafty in front of the net.

If Martone can improve his skating and build his confidence to the point where he can drive to the net and shield the puck using his large frame, he adds another layer to his already refined game.

Summary

Porter Martone is a unique player. Standing at 6 foot 3 inches, he doesn’t use his body the way most power forwards do. He is extremely smart, keeping his head up to survey the ice and find open teammates. He is also very crafty, often making no-look passes right on the tape of his teammates. He likes to get in tight to the goalie and make a quick pass or a quick move to put the puck in the back of the net. I would like to see him get faster and use his body to force his way around defenders on the rush and drive to the net. I look forward to monitoring his progress throughout the year and in the NHL.

Thank you!

Thanks for reading my article. If you have any questions or just want to chat, please feel free to contact me in the "About Me" tab of this website. Have a great day!