NHL draft: Flyers take Porter Martone sixth, trade up for Jack Nesbitt; prospect highlights, bios, and more
Flyers general manager Danny Brière enters the 2025 NHL draft with three first-round picks, including No. 6.
- What you should know
- The first round of the 2025 NHL draft is underway from Los Angeles.
- With their first pick of the night, No. 6 overall, the Flyers selected winger Porter Martone.
- The Flyers then traded their other two first-round picks (Nos. 22 and 31) to the Penguins in order to move up to No. 12 and draft center Jack Nesbitt.
- Recently, the Flyers also traded for Trevor Zegras earlier this week. Here's five things to know about Zegras and his video-game moves.
- Click here to see every first round pick so far.
2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko surprisingly made the NHL team last season and played four games, becoming the youngest Flyer ever to do so in the process.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 10:16pm
Blue Jackets snag potential Flyers goaltending target
Coming into Friday with six picks in the first two rounds, many expected the Flyers to take a goalie at some point over the next two days.
Flyers fans Thomas Kershalla, left, of Beachwood, N.J., Steve Bowen, center, of Millville, and Gritty of Philadelphia cheer the Flyers draft pick during the Flyers draft party at the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City on Friday night.
But when the first one came off the board at 21, it wasn’t Joshua Ravensbergen, the consensus No. 1 throughout most of the draft process. Instead, it was Russian Pyotr Andreyanov, who our Jackie Spiegel mocked to the Flyers in the second round.
We’ll see if that starts a run on goalies and influences some of the Flyers’ decisions early in Round 2 where they are slated to pick 36th, 40th, and 48th. In addition to Ravensbergen, Jack Ivankovic, Semyon Frolov, and Alexei Medvedev are goalies expected to go in the top three rounds.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 9:42pm
Watch: Jack Nesbitt highlights from last season
// Timestamp 06/27/25 9:18pm
Meredith Gaudreau gets standing ovation before announcing Blue Jackets' pick
Each NHL team brought out a special fan or player to make their first round selection in the 2025 NHL Draft — for the Flyers, it was Charles Barkley and Brandon Graham appearing via live stream. But the Columbus Blue Jackets’ pick earned by far the biggest applause of the night — Meredith Gaudreau, wife of Johnny Gaudreau, who died last August in Salem County, N.J.
Gaudreau thanked every fanbase and franchise for the support they showed to the Gaudreau family after the deaths of Johnny and his brother Matthew, and got emotional on stage making Columbus’ pick at No. 14. The Blue Jackets selected defenseman Jackson Smith from the Tri-City Americans. Smith is headed to Penn State next year to continue his development.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 9:14pm
Who is Porter Martone? Get to know the new Flyers winger.
The Flyers’ first pick in the 2025 NHL Draft is in, and it’s Brampton Steelheads winger Porter Martone.
Here are five things to know about the newest Flyer:
He grew up liking the Flyers
Martone might be from Peterborough, Ontario but he grew up loving the Flyers. He even had a Claude Giroux poster in his childhood bedroom.
He’s inspired by the Tkachuk brothers
The trait that pops out with Martone first is his size. He’s a huge winger, at 6′3″ and 204 pounds, and he’s already taking inspiration from similarly sized power forwards who have found success in the NHL, like the Tkachuk brothers.
He’s not the first member of his family to be drafted
Martone’s father was selected in the fourth round of the 1996 NHL draft, but ultimately never made the NHL. He later turned to coaching and teaching, and put Martone in skates at age 2.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:33pm
What the Flyers are getting in Porter Martone
With the sixth pick in the first round of the 2025 NHL draft, the Flyers took Brampton Steelheads winger Porter Martone, who had an additional meeting with the Flyers this week in Voorhees, and talked with the brass on Friday morning.
So what are the Flyers getting in Martone?
“I think on fit, Martone is a great fit for the Flyers. He adds size to the organization when they need it,” The Athletic’s NHL draft analyst Scott Wheeler told The Inquirer at the NHL scouting combine. “He’s got legit, dynamic skill for a 6-foot-3, 205-pound forward. He’s been a leader, he’s worn the ‘C’ for Hockey Canada [the gold medal-winning squad at U18s], all of that. But I do wonder whether they’ve got enough right-shot wingers and, just like taking Jett Luchanko a year ago, whether the priority is still to build through the middle.”
Martone was considered the top winger in this draft class, and with the addition of Trevor Zegras on Monday — and the intention of, at least to start, having him down the middle — the Flyers have appeared to have shifted gears.
“I think Porter, obviously, the size is a big component,” FloHockey NHL draft analyst Chris Peters told The Inquirer in Buffalo at the scouting combine. “He is a power forward, but he probably could stand to be more physical. He is physical — it’s not that he’s not — it’s just, I think that at his size, he’s going to be forced to play a certain way.
“But I think that, at his heart, he’s a playmaker. He’s more of a skill, hockey sense, passing, scoring kind of player, which I think is a great thing and why a lot of teams are very interested in him. … I think that he does a lot of things well. Very mature.”
Martone is coming off a 37-goal and 98-point season in 57 regular-season games for Brampton of the Ontario Hockey League. It tied Jake O’Brien for seventh on the OHL scoring charts. He added nine points (four goals, five assists) in six playoff games.
Flyers select winger Porter Martone with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 NHL draft// Timestamp 06/27/25 9:52pm
Every pick from the first round of the 2025 NHL draft
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:53pm
Flyers fans react to the team trading up to the 12th pick
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:51pm
Flyers trade up with Penguins, select Jack Nesbitt with 12th pick
In a surprise move on Friday, the Flyers made a deal with their Keystone State rivals, the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Philly sent Nos. 22 and 31 across the state to Pittsburgh for the No. 12 pick, selecting center Jack Nesbitt from Windsor of the OHL. Former Eagle Brandon Graham made the pick.
“He looks like a Flyer to me,” president Keith Jones said on ESPN.
Nesbitt is a tall (6-foot-5), physical pivot who lives at the front of the net, plays a 200-foot game, and compares his game to Dallas Stars captain Jamie Benn. This past season, he finished with 25 goals and 64 points in 65 games, chipping in six power-play goals and two more while shorthanded.
A left-shot, the Sarnia, Ontario, native added another five points (two goals, three assists) in six games for the gold-medal winning Canadians at the U18 World Championships in May.
After the trade, the Flyers are next slated to pick at No. 36 on Saturday afternoon.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:42pm
Watch 15 minutes of Porter Martone highlights
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:16pm
'He's the future of our team': Watch Rick Tochhet address Flyers fans after Martone pick
Shortly after the Flyers took Porter Martone with the sixth pick, new head coach Rick Tocchet was asked by 97.5 The Fanatic's John Kincade about the winger.
"I was in the war room, and when he fell to us ... the guys were jumping up and down," Tocchet said. "A big winger, tough, that can score ... great leadership, so he's going to be great in Orange and Black. He's going to be a guy — he's the future of our team."
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:05pm
Flyers fans react to team drafting Porter Martone
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:02pm
Flyers take winger Porter Martone with sixth pick
The Flyers did not select their No. 1 center of the future on Friday night, as they instead opted for top-ranked winger Porter Martone.
The announcement, which fittingly came from another power forward in former Sixer Charles Barkley, came as a little bit of a surprise, given the team's need down the middle.
But maybe it shouldn't have, as GM Danny Briere reiterated throughout the process that the team would take the "best player available." The 6-foot-3, 205-pound Martone is an elite playmaker and has the tools to develop into a power forward a la Corey Perry and Matthew Tkachuk. Last season for Brampton of the Ontario Hockey League, Martone tallied 37 goals and 98 points while captaining the Steelheads.
The Flyers next pick at No. 22 and could look to grab a center there.
Flyers select winger Porter Martone with No. 6 pick in 2025 NHL draft// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:00pm
Predators go off the board with fifth pick
The Predators went off the board with their selection, grabbing Brady Martin from the OHL’s Soo Greyhounds.
Martin is a center known for his physical, two-way game, but NHL Central Scouting ranked him at 11. Flyers fans in Atlantic City were happy to see the Predators make that reach.
That leaves top targets James Hagens and Porter Martone still on the board for the Flyers at 6, who are now on the clock.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 7:49pm
No Brotherly Love: Desnoyers goes two picks before Flyers
There will be no brothers reunion in Philadelphia, as the Utah Mammoth have selected Moncton center Caleb Desnoyers with the fourth pick.
Desnoyers, who is known for his two-way skill set and winning pedigree, was a potential target for the Flyers. His brother, Elliot, is currently a member of the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.
With Nashville still to pick before the Flyers, James Hagens, Porter Martone, Brady Martin, Jake O'Brien, and Roger McQueen remain on the board.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 7:47pm
Swedish center Anton Frondell goes third to Chicago
While we await the Flyers' pick at No. 6, the Chicago Blackhawks have selected Swedish center Anton Frondell with the third pick. The Flyers' guest picker remains a mystery, but Chicago called on former Blackhawk and Flyer Jeremy Roenick to make their pick.
Frondell, who FloHockey's Chris Peters referred to as a "tank," had separated himself and become one of the top three in recent days.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 7:36pm
Sharks take Michael Misa second after all
All that talk of the San Jose Sharks taking Anton Frondell over Michael Misa turned out to be a lot about nothing, as the Sharks stuck to the consensus and selected Misa with the second pick.
The high-scoring Misa lit the Ontario Hockey League up this season like very OHL players have before him. His 134 points (62 goals) were the most in the league since Patrick Kane racked up 145 points with London in 2006-07.
The Sharks, who have been down for the past several seasons, continue to stockpile high-end talent with Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, Sam Dickinson, and now Misa.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 7:26pm
Islanders take emotional Matthew Schaefer with first pick
The Islanders selected defenseman Matthew Schaefer first overall, as expected.
The moment was especially emotional for Schaefer, whose mother died of breast cancer last year, when Schaefer was 16. His billet mom — a name for the family many junior hockey players board with — also died of apparent suicide just months before.
“There won’t be a dry eye in the house,” Schaefer’s father, Todd, said, and during Schaefer’s post-draft interview, those emotions came through.
“Obviously lots of tears as you guys can see, they’re a lot more happy than not,” Schaefer said. “I can control myself a little more now. Things like this mean so much to me, it’s surreal. You’ve waited for this moment your whole life, and I wish my mom could be here, but I know she’s with me.”
Schafer made sure his mom was represented as part of his draft suit.
And the Islanders added a nice touch of their own, having a cancer awareness ribbon stitched to the jersey he was handed by commissioner Gary Bettman.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 6:55pm
New Flyer Trevor Zegras arrives at team's draft party
// Timestamp 06/27/25 6:51pm
Danny Briere reiterates Flyers will take 'best player available'
While many have assumed the Flyers will draft a center with their first pick on Friday night, GM Danny Briere continues to say the team will take the best player available.
The odds are the pick will still be a center as six of the seven likeliest players at the spot play down the middle.
But does this add a little more credence to the recent talk the Flyers could go with winger Porter Martone? The Flyers did have the Brampton winger in for an extra visit this week. Hmm...
// Timestamp 06/27/25 6:17pm
Panthers give Conn Smythe winner Sam Bennett an eight-year extension
The draft doesn't start until 7 p.m. but there was a collective groan around center-needy NHL war rooms about an hour before things kicked off in Los Angeles.
That was because Sam Bennett, the top unrestricted free agent center on the market, signed an extension to stay with the two-time defending champion Florida Panthers. The deal which works out to eight years at an $8 million average annual value, will likely see the Conn Smythe winner play out the remainder of his career in Sunrise.
While Bennett wasn't landing in Philly, it could have a trickle-down effect for teams looking for centers. We'll see if Marco Rossi trade talks heat up now.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 4:44pm
Gameday Central: Top options, sleeper picks, and more
Ahead of the draft’s first round, Inquirer Flyers writer Jackie Spiegel sat down with FloHockey draft and prospect analyst Chris Peters on Gameday Central to discuss the team's options with the sixth pick, sleeper prospects to watch, and much more.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 4:21pm
Report: Blue Jackets trade for Charlie Coyle and Miles Woods
Teams across the Metro continue to make moves. After missing out on Noah Dobson to Montreal, the Blue Jackets added centers Charlie Coyle and Miles Wood from the Avalanche, trading away a 2027 second, a 2025 third, and forward prospect Gavin Brindley.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 2:16pm
Reports: Islanders trade Noah Dobson to the Canadiens
// Timestamp 06/27/25 1:13pm
Could Flyers be in the mix as Islanders look to trade Noah Dobson?
Islanders defenseman Noah Dobson’s name has been thrown around in trade rumors for the last few weeks, and over the last 48 hours it is looking more and more likely that he will be dealt.
Insider Frank Seravalli reports that the Islanders have shifted their approach from seeking roster players to draft picks in a potential trade for Dobson.
Could the Flyers be in the mix here? While Montreal and Columbus are reportedly very interested in the 25-year-old defenseman, the Flyers would have the best pick package of the three if they wanted to get involved.
Dobson would also check off a huge box for the Flyers, as he is a true No. 1 power-play quarterback and greatly aid one of the league’s worst units. The 6-foot-4 blueliner is a restricted free agent and is seeking a new contract in the $10 million a year range. We wrote about Dobson and nine other defenseman the Flyers could target earlier this week.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 11:47am
Final NHL mock draft: Here's who we have the Flyers taking tonight
Pick No. 6
Jake O’Brien, C, Brantford (OHL): If Caleb Desnoyers, Anton Frondell, and Porter Martone are gone — in that order — my gut instinct is that O’Brien is next on the Flyers’ list. Although James Hagens has been in this spot on previous mock drafts, and Brady Martin is another strong possibility, the addition of Trevor Zegras on Monday appears to shift things a little, and the 18-year-old O’Brien (his birthday was June 16), brings high-end skill and size down the middle at 6-foot-2.
Pick No. 22
Logan Hensler, RHD, Wisconsin (NCAA): The bottom half of the draft is littered with high-quality defensemen, and although I’ve gone with Blake Fiddler here in the past, it was only because the thought was Hensler would be gone already. So, if he’s there, and Kashawn Aitcheson, Penn State commit Jackson Smith, or Cameron Reid, are all gone, I do think the Flyers snag him. They could also, as several draft analysts have alluded to, take big Russian winger Daniil Prokhorov, but Hensler may be too good to pass up.
Pick No. 31
Henry Brzustewicz, RHD, London (OHL): I know John Tortorella is no longer here, but his words around the trade deadline about needing right-shot defensemen still ring true. And while “Henry B.” did not meet with the Flyers in Buffalo at the scouting combine, no one should take that to mean he’s 100% out the door. They’ve seen him plenty, as the blueliner was teammates with Oliver Bonk and Denver Barkey in London. The 6-f1 D-man, who played a little with Bonk but primarily with CHL defenseman of the year Sam Dickinson, can play all three zones, has a heavy shot, and has incredibly “high-compete” level.
Flyers mock draft 4.0: James Hagens or Jake O’Brien at No. 6? Will they grab a goalie in Round 2?// Timestamp 06/27/25 10:15am
Whomever the Flyers draft, don't expect to see them anytime soon
While much has been made about the Flyers’ potentially landing their No. 1 center with the sixth pick, it is important to remember that whomever they select is likely a year, or two, or even three away from helping the NHL club.
This is especially true in a 2025 class that might not have a single player who starts off in the NHL next year. Projected top pick Matthew Schaefer and top-ranked forward Michael Misa probably have the best chance of getting to the NHL quickly, but Schaefer only played 17 games in juniors last season due to injury, while the high-scoring Misa might also need another year of seasoning.
In terms of Flyers targets, Boston College center James Hagens is probably one year away as most feel confident that he’ll turn pro after his sophomore season, while the likes of Caleb Desnoyers, Brady Martin, Porter Martone, and Jake O’Brien are all one to two years from competing for an NHL spot.
The Flyers’ 2024 first-round pick Jett Luchanko surprisingly made the NHL team last season and played four games, becoming the youngest Flyer ever to do so in the process, but that was more just a logistics thing and to get him that experience and evaluate what he needed to work on. The plan was that he would always return to juniors before hitting the 10-game mark.
Matvei Michkov, the team’s top pick in 2023, stayed in Russia for another season after his draft year, while fellow 2023 picks Oliver Bonk, Denver Barkey, and Carson Bjarnason are all set to turn pro next season. The Flyers hope to land that No. 1 center and franchise cornerstone on Friday night but his debut with the Flyers will have to wait for at least a year.
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:50am
6 prospects that could make a lot of sense for Flyers' top pick
Caleb Desnoyers, C, Moncton Wildcats (QMJHL)
By far, Desnoyers is the most well-rounded center in this class and the one everyone says will stick at that position in the NHL. He is a proven winner and just led Moncton to the Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League championship — with two bad wrists. There’s a good chance he won’t be there at the sixth slot, hence the mid-range draft meter, but if he is there, the Flyers will surely snag the 6-foot-2 younger brother of current Lehigh Valley Phantom Elliot Desnoyers.
Draft meter: 5
Jake O’Brien, C, Brantford Bulldogs (OHL)
With the top three all but predetermined and, in all likelihood, Desnoyers off the board, O’Brien sounds like the next guy on the list for the Flyers. The Ontario Hockey League-based center is 6-2 and has immense skill in terms of his passing and vision on the ice. Is he a complete, 200-foot player like Desnoyers? No, but he is just 18 and has tremendous upside.
Draft meter: 9
Brady Martin, C, Soo Greyhounds (OHL)
The hardest decision for the Flyers at No. 6 could be between Martin and O’Brien. Unlike O’Brien, Martin brings the boom. He’s a strong center at 6 feet and 186 pounds who lives for the big body checks while being a team player. There’s a lot to like about Martin, who has high-end skill and one of the strongest work ethics in the draft class, thanks to his experience working on his family’s farm.
Draft meter: 8
Porter Martone, RW, Brampton Steelheads (OHL)
With the addition of Zegras down the middle, could the Flyers shift gears and aim for the top winger in the class? If so, Martone would be the guy. The hyper-focused winger brings size at 6-3, 204 pounds, high-end skill, and is a proven leader as he is not only the captain in Brampton but has worn the “C” for Hockey Canada. He needs to work on his skating, but he has elite playmaking skills, can score, and, like O’Brien and Martin, has major upside.
Draft meter: 6
James Hagens, C, Boston College (NCAA)
Yes, as multiple sources have confirmed to The Inquirer, the Flyers did meet with the Boston College product last week in New Jersey. But these meetings happen all the time, so all bets are off on whether Hagens is the guy they take if available at No. 6. Here’s the thing, the 5-11, 186-pound Hagens is dynamic and one of the best skaters, playmakers, and scorers in the class, and while Brière and Flahr said they don’t have an issue with size, the consensus is that they may lean toward one of the bigger guys with their top pick.
Draft meter: 6
Roger McQueen, Brandon Wheat Kings (WHL)
The only other option at No. 6 for the Flyers appears to be McQueen, who some draft experts say could have been the No. 1 pick — if not for his back injury. There is a major risk with taking McQueen, but a considerable reward if his injuries are behind him. The Flyers have done their due diligence and also conducted a medical interview with the 6-5 center for Brandon — yep, the junior team of Carson Bjarnason led by former Flyer Marty Murray — so they may think it is worth it in the end. But, of course, looming over this is how the last time the Flyers took a Brandon center with some injury question marks, it didn’t go well (Nolan Patrick).
Draft meter: 6
Flyers draft: Rating 13 potential first-round targets for the Orange and Black// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:25am
When do the Flyers pick tonight?
The Flyers will be busy Friday night.
Thanks to some wheeling and dealing, Philly has three picks in the first round of the draft — 6, 22, and 31.
Overall, the Flyers have 10 draft picks this weekend, including three in the second round and one in the third, at least before any wheeling and dealing takes place.
Here’s a breakdown of their picks and where they came from:
The Flyers have three picks in tonight’s 2025 NHL draft. Here’s what you need to know.// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:20am
Flyers met with Porter Martone ahead of the NHL draft
The Flyers seem to be doing their due diligence leading up to the 2025 NHL draft.
After The Inquirer reported that James Hagens met with the team in the Philly area last week, Porter Martone confirmed on Thursday to reporters in Los Angeles that he also made a visit to the Garden State this week.
Martone is considered the top winger in this draft class, and with the addition of Trevor Zegras on Monday — and the intention of, at least to start, having him down the middle — the Flyers could shift gears and not take a center. That said, Martone is a right winger, which the Flyers already have an overabundance of in their top six.
But what right-wingers Bobby Brink, Travis Konecny, and Matvei Michkov don’t have is Martone’s size. The hyper-focused winger brings a big frame at 6-foot-3, 204 pounds, high-end skill, and is a proven leader.
Martone is the captain in Brampton of the Ontario Hockey League and has also worn the “C” for Hockey Canada. He needs to work on his skating, but he has elite playmaking skills, can score goals, and has major upside.
This past season, Martone tallied 37 goals and 98 points in 57 regular-season games for Brampton, tying another possible Flyers pick at No. 6, Jake O’Brien, for seventh on the OHL scoring charts. He added nine points (four goals, five assists) in six playoff games.
The Flyers met with top-ranked winger Porter Martone this week ahead of the NHL draft2025 NHL Draft: Start time, channel, how to watch and stream
The Sixers are off the clock, now it’s the Flyers’ turn.
The 2025 NHL draft kicks off tonight at the Peacock Theater in Los Angeles, and Philly has three picks in the first round tonight and 10 picks overall.
The NHL draft runs two days, with the first round starting tonight at 7 p.m. on ESPN and ESPN+.
Rounds 2-7 begin Saturday at 11:30 a.m. on the NHL Network and ESPN+
John Buccigross will host the draft for ESPN for the fourth straight year, joined by NHL analyst Kevin Weekes, senior NHL writer Emily Kaplan, and reporter Leah Hextall.
In a new wrinkle, team executives, coaches, and scouts will join tonight’s draft virtually from their home cities (the Flyers will be working down the shore in Atlantic City), while the top prospects will take the state at the Peacock Theater in downtown Los Angeles alongside commissioner Gary Bettman.
Here’s everything you need to know to watch or stream the first round of the 2025 NHL Draft:
- When: Friday, June 27
- Where: Peacock Theater, Los Angeles
- Time: 7 p.m. Eastern
- TV: ESPN
- Streaming: ESPN+
// Timestamp 06/27/25 8:15am
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