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As the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs continue to unfold, it’s as good a time as any to look at the league’s pending UFAs and examine how they’ve helped or hurt their negotiating leverage this summer. 

Let’s focus on five prominent pending UFAs:

1. Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs

Heading into the post-season, few players were under more pressure than Marner. Unlike last year, when he had one goal and three points in a seven-game loss to the Bruins, Marner came through, posting seven assists and eight points in the six-game win against the Ottawa Senators. 

Marner helped his financial cause greatly in the regular season with a career-best 75 assists and 102 points in 81 games, but his first-round performance is a step toward proving he can rise to the occasion in the playoffs. His strong defensive play also helps.

Most people now understand Marner won’t likely give the Leafs a hometown discount, and he’s almost assuredly going to make $13 million or $14 million per season beginning next year. The further the Leafs go, the more the 27-year-old is assured of an even bigger raise on the $10.9 million he’s currently making – especially if he can help the Leafs get past the Panthers in the second round.

2. Nikolaj Ehlers, LW, Winnipeg Jets

Injuries limited Ehlers to only 69 regular-season games with the Jets, but he still was able to match his career-high in assists (39) and came within one point of equaling his career high in points (64). 

Injuries kept Ehlers out of the first five games of their first-round showdown against the St. Louis Blues. However, he made up for lost time by setting up Cole Perfetti for the game-tying goal that sent Game 7 to overtime.

Regardless of what happens the rest of the way for himself and the Jets, Ehlers will have serious interest from many teams and get a raise on the $6 million he’s earning this season. His combination of speed and finishing skills makes him highly valuable.

3. Mikael Granlund, C, Dallas Stars

Granlund, 33, is no spring chicken. But since Dallas acquired him from San Jose midway through the season, he’s been solid, combining for 22 goals and 66 points in 83 games with the Stars and the San Jose Sharks. Those are his best totals since he was a member of the Minnesota Wild in 2017-18. 

In seven games against the Colorado Avalanche, Granlund put up a goal and two points – nothing earth-shattering but nothing that will see him take a pay cut on the $5 million he’s earning this season. At his age, the contract term will likely be as important to Granlund as the dollar amount he eventually arrives at.

NHL Playoffs 2025: Winners And Losers From Round 1 Feature Rantanen, Necas And MoreJust like that, the NHL’s 2025 Stanley Cup playoff field is cut in half. 

4. John Tavares, C, Toronto Maple Leafs

Like Marner, Tavares plays for the high-profile Maple Leafs, so his next contract has been a topic of speculation for the past year. 

Tavares thrived in the regular season with 38 goals and 74 points in 75 games, and he added three goals and five points against the Sens in Round 1. Despite his age, that should only help his negotiating rights this coming off-season.

Tavares, 34, will not earn anywhere close to the $11-millon cap hit he’s been making in Toronto for the past seven seasons. But if he can get a three- or four-year contract from his hometown Leafs, Tavares should be satisfied at the prospect of ending his terrific career for the Blue & White.

5. Sam Bennett, C, Florida Panthers

Bennett’s skill and sandpaper make him highly regarded to pretty much every team out there, and his current cap hit of $4.425 million makes him one of the better bargains in the NHL.

This year, he’s put up career bests in assists (26) and points (51), but his recent playoff history assures him of a considerable raise this summer. 

The 28-year-old had seven goals and 14 points in 19 games during Florida’s Cup run last year. This spring, he’s put up three goals and five points in the Panthers’ first-round win over Tampa Bay.

Bennett may choose to remain in Florida over the long haul, but if the Panthers want to keep him, they will have to pay him a good deal more than what he’s currently making. Bennett’s skill set is unique, and while he no doubt wants to stay a Panther, there will be no shortage of teams tempting him with a healthy raise.

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The incredible ending of the St. Louis Blues - Winnipeg Jets series on Sunday put an end to the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, which did not see any shocking upsets, but did see clubs like the Los Angeles Kings and Tampa Bay Lightning, who had home-ice advantage, go down to division foes Edmonton and Florida. A number of former Buffalo Sabres moved on to the second round, which will open with the Panthers taking on the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena on Monday, but a number of ex-Sabres also had their season end.  

Here are the players who went home after the first round:

Colorado

Erik Johnson  GP - 2, G - 0, A - 0, PTS - 0, +/- 0

Most likely the end of the career of the Stanley Cup champion and former #1 overall pick. 

Minnesota

Marcus Foligno  GP - 6, G - 3, A - 1, PTS - 4, +/- +4

Marcus Johansson  GP - 5, G - 0, A - 2, PTS - 2, +/- 0

Zach Bogosian  GP - 6, G - 0, A - 1, PTS - 1, +/- -1

Foligno was a force in the Wild’s six-game loss to Vegas, with three goals.

Montreal

Joel Armia  GP - 5, G - 0, A - 2, PTS - 2, +/- +2

The former Sabres first-rounder was an effective checker and bottom-six forward for the Canadiens, who fell in five games to the Washington Capitals. 

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Ottawa

Dylan Cozens  GP - 6, G - 1, A - 1, PTS - 2, +/- -2

Linus Ullmark  GP - 6, Record - 2-4-0, GAA - 2.84, Save % - .880

Cozens had a rough playoff for Ottawa, as he was victimized on Max Domi’s OT goal in Game 2, but the former Sabre did score a back-breaking short-handed goal in Game 5. Ullmark gave up six in the series opener, but got stronger as the series evolved, shutting out Toronto in Game 5 to keep the Sens alive.  

Tampa Bay

Zemgus Girgensons  GP - 5, G - 0, A - 0, PTS - 0, +/- 0

Girgensons played fourth-line duty and, most notably, was checked from behind by Niko Mikkola, earning the Florida defenseman a five-minute major and game misconduct. 

Follow Michael on X, Instagram, and Bluesky @MikeInBuffalo

When the 2024-25 NHL season began, defenceman Nikolas Matinpalo wasn't exactly on the Ottawa Senators' NHL radar.

Last summer, Matinpalo signed a one-year, two-way contract with the club, suggesting they expected him to spend the bulk of the year again with the AHL's Belleville Senators.

But as they often do, a rash of injuries opened the door for Matinpalo, and he made the most of the opportunity. The 26-year-old played 41 regular-season games for the Senators this season, which is probably about 41 more than most observers expected. As a testament to how well he played this season, Matinpalo suited up in all six of Ottawa's playoff games this spring, even though more veteran options were both healthy and available.

Four days after the Senators' season ended, Matinpalo was rewarded with his first one-way NHL contract. GM Steve Staios announced on Monday that the team signed Matinpalo to a two-year deal with an $875,000 AAV through the 2026-2027 season.

The Espoo, Finland native started the season on waivers before reporting to Belleville, where he stayed until being recalled to Ottawa in December.

Matinpalo's whirlwind season included an opportunity to be an injury replacement for Team Finland at February's NHL 4 Nations Faceoff, which was far more intense and entertaining than anyone expected. He'll also be suiting up for his national team later this week as the World Championships begin in Stockholm, Sweden, on Friday.

“Nik took a significant step this season and proved he could be a valuable contributor at the NHL level,” Staios said. “We look forward to his continued growth.”

It will be interesting to see exactly what that level of growth will look like. He'll be 27 when the next NHL season begins, so he may have peaked already. But some players are late bloomers, and the Sens are hoping his best is yet to come.

Ottawa Senators Captain Brady Tkachuk At His Seasonal Farewell: 'We Want More'On Saturday morning, with the echoes from Thursday's season-ending Game Six loss still rattling about in the rafters of Canadian Tire Centre, Ottawa Senators captain Brady Tkachuk was made available to the media for one final time this season. For Tkachuk, not being able to complete an epic comeback against the Toronto Maple Leafs is still an open wound.

By Steve Warne
The Hockey News - Ottawa

Bruins hope to get ‘impact player' with No. 7 pick after lottery disappointment originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

The Boston Bruins needed some luck to win the 2025 NHL Draft Lottery, and they didn’t get it. In fact, they got the opposite.

The worst-case scenario for the Bruins was falling two spots to the No. 7 pick, and that’s what unfolded Monday night when the draft lottery concluded.

The last time the Bruins picked in the top seven with their own pick was 2006 when they selected Phil Kessel at No. 5 overall. The B’s did pick No. 2 overall in 2010 (Tyler Seguin) with a pick they acquired in a trade with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Despite the disappointment in the lottery results, Bruins general manager Don Sweeney seems confident his team will be able to get a good player in the first round.

“We’re still picking in the upper echelon of the draft, which we haven’t done for a significant time period,” Sweeney told reporters at a press conference Monday night. “So we feel very comfortable in terms of where the top seven picks are and we’ll get a good player, an impact player, regardless of the disappointment of moving back a couple spots. That’s the nature of the lottery.”

The Bruins, given the weakness of their prospect pool, should keep the No. 7 pick and add a potential top-tier young player to their organization. But you never know what trade offers might come your way.

“If you had a chance to win the lottery, I’m sure you’d receive phone calls in terms of whether you’ll ever move that pick. At No. 7, you still may,” Sweeney said. “It’s difficult to move up from there, but we’ll do our due diligence in terms of which teams may want to jockey around. And we still feel very comfortable with the scouting we’ve done and the player we’re gonna get at No. 7 if we decide to stay there.”

If the Bruins plan on their retool being a quick one — maybe just one offseason — it would help if their 2025 first-round pick could contribute right away. But that’s not often what happens. Rushing these players to the NHL can backfire.

Does Sweeney see any players in this draft who could play as early as next season?

“You never know. The surprises are what they are each year,” Sweeney explained. “I think (sometimes) you find a player who comes out of the gate and looks like he can play right away. Whether that’s acclimation — some of these guys have been injured for a period of time. Are they mature enough and physically ready to play? That’s to be determined.

“The league gets harder as you go along, and you see a lot of these players do get injured when they start out early. But they’re all good players in the upper echelon of the draft. You’ve got some guys who have played pro over in Sweden. It’s a chance to impact your club, whether that’s next year, that remains to be seen.”

The first round of the draft will take place on June 27. Rounds two through seven will take place the following day. The Bruins currently own eight picks in the 2025 draft, including two second-round selections.

How is Michkov not a Calder Trophy finalist? Flyers' rookie a clear snub originally appeared on NBC Sports Philadelphia

Matvei Michkov led all rookies this season in goals (26) and even strength points (46).

He was tied for second in overall points (63).

He was the only player in the NHL to put up both three or more overtime goals and three or more shootout goals.

He played in 80 of 82 games as a 20-year-old from Russia jumping into the NHL.

But somehow, he was not a Calder Memorial Trophy finalist Monday. The NHL’s top rookie honor will come down to Canadiens defenseman Lane Hutson, Sharks center Macklin Celebrini and Flames goalie Dustin Wolf.

The award is voted on by the Professional Hockey Writers Association. The winner is expected to be announced at some point in June.

Hutson is the likely front-runner to win it after leading all rookies in points (66) and assists (60), while playing big minutes for a Montreal team that went to the playoffs. His assists mark tied an NHL record for most by a rookie defenseman.

So Michkov had a tall order to become the first Flyers player to ever win the Calder Trophy. But how he wasn’t voted as a finalist is hard to comprehend. He won the rookie goal-scoring race, he did a ton of his work at even strength and he delivered in clutch moments.

More: How Michkov embraced a ‘boring process’ to become an even greater scorer

“I think he’s probably the one guy that I’ve played with in my career that he wants to be the best player in the NHL,” Travis Konecny said over two weeks ago. “He believes that he can be and you can’t teach that. That’s just something that he wants and he believes in — that’s a powerful thing. If he can continue to figure out how to play on both sides of the puck and help us win games that way, too, he’s a really big part of this.”

Celebrini finished with the same number of points as Michkov, but played in 10 fewer games. He had a minus-31 rating, while Michkov had a minus-18 mark.

Wolf was Calgary’s No. 1 goaltender, going 29-16-8 with a 2.64 goals-against average and .910 save percentage. The Flames had a 96-point season but missed the playoffs. Wolf made his NHL debut two seasons ago.

Last season, Connor Bedard won the award with 22 goals, 61 points and a minus-44 rating in 68 games.

Michkov’s 26 goals led the Flyers and his 63 points were second to Konecny. He recorded the most points by a Flyers rookie since Mikael Renberg had 82 in 1993-94. Renberg’s mark is a franchise record for most points by a rookie in a season. Michkov finished eighth on the Flyers’ all-time rookie single-season scoring list.

“He’s a special athlete, person,” general manager Danny Briere said over two weeks ago. “He sees it, he’s extremely intelligent. He has got a different mind. It’s part of the reason that makes him who he is. There’s something special around him, just in his approach.”

Just like that, the NHL’s 2025 Stanley Cup playoff field is cut in half. 

The first round ended with a bang as the Dallas Stars and Winnipeg Jets staged big Game 7 comebacks on home ice to keep their playoff dreams alive. 

In the end, seeding and experience mattered. The only two underdogs to advance were the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers, which also happened to be last year’s Stanley Cup finalists. 

So far, Canada’s hopes of crowning its first champion since 1993 look better than usual. Three Canadian teams are in the second round for the first time since 2004.

After looking at the playoffs’ winners and losers from Week 1, let’s drill down to the best and the worst from Round 1.

Winners

Mikko Rantanen, RW, Dallas Stars

If hockey fans in Texas were previously unaware of Mikko Rantanen’s reputation as a big-time playoff performer, they know now. 

Their newly acquired superstar put the Stars on his back with a history-making third period in Game 7 and got the injury-riddled squad through to Round 2.

After a tumultuous season, Rantanen rose to the peak of his powers when the series was on the line, posting five goals and six assists for 11 points through Games 5, 6 and 7. 

What has Moose planned for an encore?

Mitch Marner, RW, Toronto Maple Leafs

As a team, the Maple Leafs are winners for finishing the job against the Ottawa Senators after some tense moments. After last year, no one had more to prove than Mitch Marner, and this time, he answered the bell by chipping in points in five of Toronto’s six first-round games. 

Marner is playing with some extra swagger that may have sparked at the 4 Nations Face-Off, and he and his wife, Stephanie, welcomed their first child to the world over the weekend. Can he keep his confidence high in Round 2 with potential new “Dad strength” against the defending Stanley Cup champions? 

Logan Thompson, G, Washington Capitals

Logan Thompson left Las Vegas looking for an opportunity to be a difference-maker, and he’s earned it in Washington. 

The Capitals look deep and poised, playing with confidence while knowing their netminder continues to make the big save when they need him. 

Thompson didn’t just finish Round 1 with 5.6 goals saved above expected – the highest of any goalie that’s still in the post-season, per moneypuck.com. He also came back looking no worse for wear after suffering what appeared to be a serious injury in Game 3 against Montreal.

In the playoffs, one of the most important abilities for a goaltender is availability. Thompson is bringing it.

NHL Playoff Predictions 2025: Which West Teams Will Win In Round 2?It’s time for the second round of the NHL’s Stanley Cup playoffs, and that means it’s time to chime in with our series predictions. 

Losers

Martin Necas, RW, Colorado Avalanche

When you’re the key guy on the other side of a blockbuster deal, the spotlight is bright. Now, Rantanen’s Game 7 heroics ratchet up the scrutiny on Martin Necas even further in Denver.

With speed and skill for days, the 26-year-old fit in well with the Avalanche. And while five points in seven playoff games isn’t bad, it’s a far cry from the impact Rantanen had on the other side. 

With a current cap hit of $6.5 million, Necas becomes extension-eligible on July 1 before hitting unrestricted free agency in 2026. Was he effective enough to extract a mega-contract from an Avalanche organization licking its wounds after another early playoff exit?

Brandon Hagel, LW, Tampa Bay Lightning

The Lightning hit another home run when they invested in Hagel in a 2022 trade, turning a sixth-round draft pick into a 90-point winger and Team Canada star at the 4 Nations Face-Off.

But Hagel’s playoffs were a mess – suspended for his Game 2 hit on Aleksander Barkov, then knocked out of the series with a concussion in Game 4 by Aaron Ekblad, who drew a suspension of his own.

Bottom line: one of the Lightning’s most important players was only available for two-and-a-half games in the series and didn’t record a point. A huge loss for Tampa Bay.

'We Owe Vegas A Good Series': Connor McDavid's Oilers Look To Flip The Script From 2023Connor McDavid hasn’t forgotten that the Vegas Golden Knights ended the Edmonton Oilers’ Stanley Cup hopes in 2023.

Drew Doughty, D, Los Angeles Kings

There’s a lot of tread on Doughty’s tires. But after rebounding from a pre-season ankle fracture to play well at the 4 Nations Face-Off, the 35-year-old looked poised to make his first real playoff run since his 2014 Cup win for Los Angeles. 

This year’s Kings looked like they were built differently. Stout in goal, with Darcy Kuemper, and with more scoring pop. But after taking a 2-0 series lead, they went down to the Edmonton Oilers again, for the fourth straight year. 

Doughty will keep his name in the mix with Team Canada for the 2026 Olympics. He has two years left on his contract, which he negotiated himself, but is running out of opportunities to make an impact in the post-season.

Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com.

The Vegas Golden Knights are preparing for a second-round matchup against the Edmonton Oilers, which begins on Tuesday.

Heading into the series, several interesting matchups exist. Connor McDavid vs Jack Eichel, Noah Hanifin and Alex Pietrangelo vs. Leon Draisaitl and the matchup the Golden Knights seemingly have the biggest advantage is in goal. 

Adin Hill had his breakout moment against the Oilers in the second round of the 2023 NHL playoffs, and if the Golden Knights have any hope of replicating those results, they'll need Hill to be at his best once again.

In the opening round, the 28-year-old posted a .880 SV% and a 2.83 GAA. The Golden Knights found ways to score key goals when they needed to, but Hill's overall performance in the first round was below expectations. 

If he performs below those expectations, McDavid and Draisaitl will run over the Golden Knights as they did to the Los Angeles Kings. Stopping the duo is virtually impossible, but there are ways of slowing them down. In the moments when they can't, Hill is going to have to step up. 

"They're a fast team, they'll get their chances, and they have a couple of pretty good players over there," said Hill jokingly. "It'll be a good series. I think they are kind of rolling four lines more now, so those guys will have more energy when they're out there. I think it should be fast hockey, high intensity, feel like real playoff hockey, for sure."

The situation in the Oilers' crease is up in the air, to say the least. They began their series against the Kings with Stuart Skinner in goal, but after two dreadful outings, he was replaced by Calvin Pickard. 

Pickard started the ensuing four games, winning each one, but still only posted a .893 SV% and a 2.93 GAA. The Golden Knights have a clear advantage in goal, but they need their $6.25M goaltender to play to that level and outduel the lesser goaltender opposite him. 

Stay updated with the most interesting Golden Knights stories, analysis, breaking news and more! Tap the star to add us to your favourites on Google News to never miss a story.

Golden Knights, Oilers Open Second Round On Tuesday In VegasThe

The Minnesota Wild were recently eliminated by the Vegas Golden Knights in the first round of the Stanley Cup, ending Marc-Andre Fleury's legendary career.

The former first-overall pick of the Pittsburgh Penguins spent 13 seasons in black and gold, winning three Stanley Cups with Sidney Crosby.

On Sunday, the Penguins' captain announced he was headed to Sweden to represent Canada for the 2025 IIHF World Championships. Then, on Monday afternoon, Fleury announced that he would make his first World Championships appearance, reuniting with his old teammate. 

Internationally, Fleury is an Olympic Gold Medalist, winning with Team Canada when Crosby scored the golden goal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, BC.

During his junior days, Fleury won back-to-back silver medals at the World Junior Championships in 2003 and 2004 while claiming the tournament's Most Valuable Player and Best Goaltender awards at the 2003 event. 

If Fleury can help Canada win its 29th World title, he'd become a member of the Triple Gold Club, having won three Stanley Cup rings (2009, 2016, 2017) and a Gold Medal (2010).

Meanwhile, Crosby joined this exclusive club with only 30 members in 2015 when he completed his quest with a World Championship. He had won three Stanley Cups with Fleury and an Olympic Gold Medal in 2010 and 2014. 

Both former first-overall picks skated with the Penguins from 2005 to 2017, dressing together for the final time on June 11, 2017, when they hoisted the Stanley Cup at Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, TN.

Flowers For 'Flower': Penguins Goaltending Legend Earns Warm Reception In Final NHL AppearanceOn Thursday, the

During the 2024-25 season, Crosby joined the 600-goal club, broke Mario Lemieux's franchise assist record, and recorded his 1,600th point, moving into the top-10 scoring all-time.

Meanwhile, in Minnesota, Fleury surpassed Roberto Luongo for the second-most games played (1,051) in NHL history, recorded his 76th career shutout, and secured his 575th win, which ranks second all-time. 

Since Fleury announced his plans to retire after the season, he'll begin his mandatory three-year waiting period following the World Championships to enter the Hockey Hall of Fame, where he's guaranteed to be a first-ballot inductee in 2028. 

With a guaranteed top six pick in the 2025 NHL Draft, the Philadelphia Flyers have an array of potentially franchise-altering options at their disposal. But is Porter Martone, a winger in the purest sense, one of them?

After all, the Flyers' cupboard is already overflowing with wingers.

Rookie sensation Matvei Michkov is Philadelphia's franchise player of the future, while veterans like Owen Tippett and Travis Konecny each signed long-term contract extensions with the Flyers in the last year.

Then there's Bobby Brink, who quietly announced himself in a limited role this season, and Tyson Foerster, whose howlitzer of a shot shot and elite defensive details are sure to earn him a big payday this summer.

Newcomers Alex Bump and Nikita Grebenkin will have something to say for themselves next training camp, too.

In the short-term, the Flyers genuinely don't have a spot readily available for a Martone. At the same time, Martone may very well have the highest ceiling of them all.

This makes for an interesting draft day decision for the Flyers. Should they potentially reach and go off the board for the center prospect they so highly covet, or should they draft the highest-upside prospect in Martone?

I enlisted the help of Lauren Kelly, EliteProspects' OHL scout, to get some further insight into the Brampton Steelheads star and to see if there's a potential fit with the Flyers.

"Martone’s highs, particularly with regards to his playmaking and passing abilities, are near the top of the class — if not at the top, at least amongst forwards. That skill alone could easily allow him to play a top-line role in the NHL and has the potential to develop into one of the league’s premier playmakers," Kelly told The Hockey News. "He also has strong finishing instincts in front of the net, whether it’s finishing off loose pucks in tight or executing difficult redirections in the slot, which would add another element to his productivity in the NHL, as he wouldn’t solely have to rely on possessing the puck to contribute."

Martone, 18, is currently ranked as EliteProspects' No. 3 player, trailing only defenceman Matthew Schaefer and forward Michael Misa. And unlike draft classmate James Hagens, Martone has maintained his status as a top-2 forward prospect throughout the entire season.

He scored 37 goals, 61 assists, and 98 points in 57 games while captaining the Steelheads for the first time, and added four goals, five assists, nine points, and 10 penalty minutes in six playoff games.

Really, the only thing there isn't to like about Martone is his lack of positional versatility, which Misa, the No. 1 forward prospect in the 2025 draft, has.

Can, or should, the Flyers stick Martone at center anyway?

"There have been times this season where Martone has stepped in for the occasional faceoff and won a few, but I think he’s more of a pure winger in the NHL," Kelly said of Martone. "Unless he is given the opportunity to play more full-time C next season and can prove he’s as effective down the middle of the ice, his game is more built around being a dangerous distributor from the flanks at the moment. He would also need to improve upon his physical game, play-driving ability, and play through contact more consistently in order to successfully step into a centre role in the NHL."

The one knock on Martone, through most of this pre-draft process so far, has been his inconsistent engagement on the ice. Sometimes that's mental, and sometimes that's physical.

To reach his full potential, his physicality must increase to match his 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame.

One would think that, over time, Martone will physically mature and grow even bigger and stronger, but applying it in a game setting is a matter of will.

Since I started covering the Flyers in 2023, my articles have regularly been flooded with comments that reflect a desire to acquire their own Matthew Tkachuk or Brady Tkachuk.

Check out the quick release by Porter Martone.

3 points so far tonight brings him up to 9 points in 7 periods this season. pic.twitter.com/RKkIaN2f31

— Cam Robinson (@Hockey_Robinson) October 4, 2024

Martone has a skillset on par with the Tkachuk brothers, but he's not quite there yet in terms of the mind-bending aggression and unrelenting, punishing physicality.

Still, he's a guy Flyers fans absolutely should want on their side.

"I think Martone has some Tkachukian-elements in his game — he does a great job of getting in opponents’ heads, especially in post-whistle scrums, he’s definitely not afraid to chirp, and he’s a natural leader (Brady got the 'C' early in his career). But I don’t necessarily see a brute force on the ice — he plays a much more refined, finesse game than both Tkachuk brothers," Kelly said of Martone's on-ice demeanor. "In fact, his game is similar to Michkov’s — extremely skilled, high-end playmaker. While the decision-making can sometimes leave you wanting more, and he has a lower motor than a lot of other top prospects in this class, and he can be an opportunistic producer, his highs are so high that sometimes you can excuse some of the weaknesses.

"That being said, it’s worth noting that pace and decision-making are easier for prospects to improve upon than other areas, and the biggest difference between him and Michkov is that he’s 6-foot-3 with the potential to develop into a physical force. He’s not quite to the Tkachuk-level of physicality, but he could very well get there in the near future. And I think even if the Flyers have a surplus of skilled wingers, adding another wing prospect who could be on par with Michkov would be a major boost to the organization."

The Flyers, as mentioned previously, have a surplus of wingers. But adding Martone automatically makes this a battle of upside.

Are Bump, Grebenkin, Tippett, Foerster, and/or Brink enough to keep Martone away from the Flyers?

The short answer, as it relates to the veteran Tippett and the younger wingers, is no. The long answer, according to Kelly, is still no.

"With this draft class, there are very few potential star game-breakers. It’s a top-heavy class that drops off significantly after the top 4-5. And Martone has that potential," said Kelly. "If Martone is available at No. 4, the Flyers shouldn’t be passing on him to take any other prospect, unless by some miracle one of Matthew Schaefer or Michael Misa is available."