Porter Martone barely had time to unpack before he was playing meaningful playoff hockey for the Philadelphia Flyers, and it still worked.
The 19-year-old made his NHL debut in late March, right in the middle of a real playoff push, not some meaningless stretch of games.
He finished the regular season with 4 goals and 6 assists for 10 points in just 9 games, helping Philadelphia snap a five year playoff drought.
Patrick Sharp watched him at Michigan State before any of this happened, and even he wasn't ready for what came next.
"For him to step in in the middle of a playoff chase and be an impact player right away, to be counted on in the playoffs, was really special. It's hard to do. You don't see that very often," Sharp said.
John LeClair echoed the same surprise on the Flyers Talk podcast.
"I don't think anybody realized there would be that big of an impact, but I knew Porter was a pro," LeClair said.
Martone kept producing once the playoffs actually started, adding 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points in 10 postseason games.
Why Martone might be Briere's real offseason splash
Alex Bump and Denver Barkey rode a similar wave. Bump scored twice in 6 playoff games, and Barkey chipped in a goal and an assist across 10 appearances.
Together, those three rookies combined for 9 playoff points, proof this wasn't a one player story.
GM Danny Briere didn't make a loud outside addition this summer after Anaheim matched Philadelphia's offer sheet for Leo Carlsson.
In a way, that's fine, because Martone's emergence functions like a real offseason addition without costing Philadelphia a single asset.
The Flyers still have roughly $15,000,000 in cap space with two restricted free agents left to sign, flexibility Briere has been deliberate about preserving.
"We worked hard to get this cap space. You remember three years ago how we were in a really bad shape there," Briere said. "We want to make sure we can use it in a proper manner where it's going to help the team moving forward."
Development camp doubled as a reminder of what's possible. Coaches played a highlight reel of Martone, Bump, and Barkey's playoff runs before the young players hit the ice.
"It shows that the process works and every year these kids are getting better when they come back to camp," Sharp said, calling it inspiring for the returning group.
Martone himself isn't assuming anything heading into his first real training camp this fall.
"I got a jump-start last year when I got to come in at the end of the season, but there's still a team to make and a job to earn," Martone said.
Sharp has also noticed the maturity off the ice matches the poise on it. "He always saying the right thing. He has incredible leadership qualities," Sharp said.
Whether Martone can turn a nine game flash into a full season of real production is the question Philadelphia spends this whole season answering.
Will Porter Martone become a full-time top-six player this season?
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