Flyers go with size, power in 1st round of 2025 NHL Draft

LOS ANGELES -- The Philadelphia Flyers didn't go into Friday night thinking they had to look for size along with ability, but they went big anyway on what could turn out to be a huge night for the franchise.

Philadelphia selected 6-foot-3, 204-pound forward Porter Martone with the No. 6 pick in the 2025 Upper Deck NHL Draft at L.A. Live’s Peacock Theater.

The Flyers then traded up, sending picks Nos. 22 and 31 to the Pittsburgh Penguins, so they could select 6-foot-4, 187-pound center Jack Nesbitt with the No. 12 pick.

"It's a nice bonus that they're both tall and will bring us size as well, but it just kind of worked out that way," Flyers general manager Danny Briere said. "It wasn't a plan we had in mind going into the draft that we wanted to get bigger. It just happened that way."

Nevertheless, the Flyers got two of the first dozen players chosen in the draft measuring a combined 12 feet, seven inches, and weighing a combined 391 pounds (and growing).

In Martone, the Flyers got a right-handed power winger with gamebreaking ability out of Brampton of the Ontario Hockey League. He led the Steelheads with 61 assists, 98 points, 29 power-play points (seven goals, 22 assists) in 57 games while serving as their captain.

The 18-year-old has been compared favorably to Edmonton Oilers forward Corey Perry and Ottawa Senators forward Brady Tkachuk.

"I grew as a leader and I think I just grew as an overall person (this season)," Martone said. "I wanted to go to the rink every day and make myself better each day. That's something I really focused on, and I think I did that."

In Nesbitt, the Flyers got one of the top and most improved centers in the draft who had 64 points (25 goals, 39 assists) in 65 games with Windsor of the OHL this season.

He compares his style to Dallas Stars forward Jamie Benn.

"A lot of grit, very physical game," Nesbitt said of his own game. "I'll fight if I have to. I'll stick up for my teammates. Play a full 200-foot game. I'll put the puck in the back of the net in big moments. I'm a big centerman and I'm ready to go."

Said Philadelphia president Keith Jones, "He looks like a Flyer to me."

Briere told Nesbitt he was their guy all along, which is why they traded two first-round picks to get him. He said they needed a big, left-shot center who plays with a combination of skill and physicality.

"The priority with pick No. 1 was to get the best player available," Briere said. "We said it all along, yeah we would have preferred a center, but we felt we couldn't pass up on the chance to bring a difference maker like Porter Martone to the team. With the second selection, because we didn't get to jump in on a center at that spot we wanted to jump in and make sure we got a center, a center that could be a difference maker. Jack was going pretty soon right after our pick, we know that, so we made the trade to try to get up and get quality over quantity in that case."

Martone said he had a feeling the Flyers were going to pick him when it got to their selection at No. 6.

"I definitely had good talks with Philly and I knew they were interested," Martone said. "I was going to just be myself when I went into my meetings and I think they liked me as a person as well. I had a bit of a feeling there and when they called my name it was pretty cool."

It was Philadelphia sports legend Charles Barkley who called his name, the basketball Hall of Famer and former 76ers power forward announcing the pick virtually on behalf of the Flyers.

"That was pretty special," Martone said. "I never thought that would ever happen but when he said my name, that was a pretty cool moment."

Nesbitt wasn't initially prepared to be selected at No. 12. In fact, he said he made a quick trip to the bathroom just before the Flyers acquired the pick from the Penguins.

He made it back in time to hear former Philadelphia Eagles defensive end Brandon Graham call his name.

"They obviously wanted to get me and trading those two picks to get me is unbelievable," Nesbitt said. "I'm very honored."

Martone and Nesbitt used to go to the same school together in Sarnia, Ontario, and they regularly play against each other in the OHL. Nesbitt said they reunited here at the draft and plan to stay in touch as they go through the development process together.

"We'll push each other for sure in the OHL, development camp, training camp, everything," Nesbitt said. "Having someone I know is great. It's awesome to have him."

Said Martone, "I'm really looking forward for him to be on my team and not playing against him."

Martone said his goal is to play for the Flyers next season. Briere thinks he can.

"His body, the way he's built, he's a little bigger, thicker guy, and he's a little older too, an October birthday," Briere said. "He's a really good player already. He's pretty close to being ready. I don't know that it's going to be the right thing to play him in the upcoming season, but we'll see. In this draft, this first round, he's pretty close to being the most ready."

Nesbitt said he's still two to three years away making it to the NHL because he needs to add strength and weight to his frame. He is 187 pounds now and wants to play next season at 195. He also said he needs to work on his skating, specifically stops and starts.

"We'll have to be a little bit more patient in his case, but I think he's going to be a special player and has the chance to be as high as a second-line center," Briere said. "If he hits as a second line center, it's going to be a huge asset down the road for us."

If it works out, soon enough the Flyers could even have Martone and Nesbitt on the same line, a pair of hulking power forwards scoring and creating all kinds of havoc for the opposition.

That's a realistic vision for the Flyers' future now that they went big on what could be a huge night even if it wasn't the plan going in.