Porter Martone one of three Flyers named to The Athletic’s top 100 drafted prospects list

The Flyers have completely revamped their prospect pool over the last three years, starting with the selection of Matvei Michkov in 2023. More recently, the team added nine players, six of whom were selected in the first two rounds, in June’s NHL draft. With Michkov bursting onto the scene at the NHL level and several other prospects knocking on the door, the team’s long-term approach appears to be bearing fruit, and others are starting to take notice.

On Monday, Scott Wheeler, a prospect and draft analyst with The Athletic, released his annual top 100 drafted prospects list, and three Flyers made the cut. Here’s a look at where those Flyers landed in Wheeler’s rankings and who missed out. All players on this list are under the age of 23 and have not yet solidified themselves with their NHL teams, so Michkov, who was No. 2 on last year’s list, no longer qualifies.

» READ MORE: Top pick Porter Martone reunites with a Flyers legend at development camp, states intention of landing an NHL spot

This season, No. 1 overall pick Matthew Schaefer topped Wheeler’s rankings, with the first Flyer on the list appearing at No. 9 in Porter Martone. The sixth pick in June’s draft, the Brampton Steelheads captain comes in fourth among the 2025 class behind only Schaefer, Michael Misa (ranked No. 2), and James Hagens (No. 8). Martone notably is ranked ahead of Anton Frondell (No. 12), Caleb Desnoyers (No. 11), and Brady Martin (No. 22), the three players picked directly ahead of him. Here’s what Wheeler had to say about the 6-foot-3, 208-pound power forward:

“His skating will need to improve if he wants the rest of his game to really pop at the next level. But he has a lot of attributes (size, strength, power, shot, playmaking, puck skill) and he’s going to score goals, make plays, and potentially impose himself in the NHL when he really comes into his own. He’s a stud, and most NHL clubs love his skilled power forward game, even if some softened on a couple of his attributes. Martone has the talent to become a high-end point-producing winger in a strong 6-3 package.”

Martone’s future will become clearer in the coming weeks, as the team and the winger will decide whether he will go the college route, compete for an NHL spot in training camp, or return to the Ontario Hockey League next season.

Speaking of the OHL, Oliver Bonk is the second Flyer on the list for the second straight year, as he moves up from 50th last year to 45th in Wheeler’s rankings. Fresh off winning the OHL and Memorial Cup with the London Knights, Bonk, who did not skate at development camp because of a minor ailment, will turn pro and compete for an NHL job in training camp this fall. Now 20, the 22nd overall pick in 2023 is the 19th-ranked defenseman and 11th-ranked right-shot blueliner on the list, coming in just behind fellow 2023 draftees Tom Willander and Dmitri Simashev.

“Bonk’s smarts are his game’s defining quality but he has also defended at one of the highest levels in junior hockey over the last couple of years, has an impressive feel for coverage and timing and escapes pressure well despite having average feet (they were once an issue but no longer are for me, though they won’t be an asset at NHL speed of play),” Wheeler wrote.

“He just looks like he’s going to be a solid two-way defenseman who can influence play and potentially help out on both special teams, even if he’s not a natural power-play quarterback or your prototypical penalty killer. He projects as a No. 3-5 defenseman.”

Jett Luchanko, 18, is the final Flyer recognized at No. 54. This comes a year after the speedy center was left off Wheeler’s list completely despite being the 13th pick in the 2024 draft. For those still questioning what at the time was a controversial draft pick, it is worth mentioning that Minnesota Wild defenseman Zeev Buium, whom the Flyers passed up ahead of taking Luchanko, is ranked No. 5 on Wheeler’s 2025 list by comparison.

» READ MORE: Flyers prospect Jett Luchanko showing ‘why he was a high pick’ with impressive run in AHL playoffs

“[Luchanko] has a chance to be a reliable, fast, intelligent all-situations center, but I don’t see a ton of offense in his game in terms of a top-of-the-lineup NHL outlook and expect him to become more of a middle-sixer than a true top-sixer,” Wheeler wrote. “He has quieter tools and habits that should help him (the routes, the pressure points, the penalty killing upside, the strength, the skating, good poise on the puck and vision), but he doesn’t have loud elements that really scream NHL skill player.”

While it is promising to see Martone ranked so highly, fellow 2025 first-rounder Jack Nesbitt missed out, marking the second year in a row that the Flyers have had a top-15 pick not making Wheeler’s top 100 that year. The 6-5 center, who was taken at No. 12 by the Flyers after a trade with Pittsburgh, was the only skater picked in the top 20 of the 2025 draft not to make the cut.