Flyers scramble to reassure fans amid familiar Draft drama

Top prospect Porter Martone, selected sixth overall by the Philadelphia Flyers in last month’s draft, announced on Monday that he’ll be attending Michigan State in the fall. The Flyers are supporting his decision though did face significant backlash from fans that general manager Daniel Briere had to address on Tuesday.

That’s because in Philadelphia, Martone’s situation sounds too similar the one Cutter Gauthier was involved in. Three summers ago, at the 2022 NHL Draft, Cutter was selected fifth overall by the Flyers, but committed to play at Boston College at the time and he stayed there. Longer than what Flyers expected. And then, he was traded to the Anaheim Ducks after cutting off contact with the organization, and that at some point, stopping wanting to be a Flyer.

And fans in Philly have not forgotten. So, Briere had to immediately diffuse the situation as soon as he met with reporters.

“There’s no worries about that,” Briere said. “The biggest difference is the communication between our camp and (Martone’s) camp, which wasn’t there in the previous experience (with Gauthier).”

Martone is joining Michigan State, though he could just as easily have returned to his junior club, OHL Brampton, where he posted 37 goals and 98 points in 57 games last season. While this prevents Martone from taking part in Flyers training camp in September, the Flyers are not worried.

“It was Porter and his family and his agent making the decision,” Briere added. “The cool part is we were involved in the process. They included us. We had long discussions. It’s not like we told him one way or the other. We shared kind of the positives and the negatives of each side. They made the decision. So we told him we’d be very supportive of whatever the decision would be. It’s not like there’s a wrong or right answer here.”

Briere continued: “The important part for us, and we told (Martone), is we care about what Porter Martone is going to be in three, five, seven years from now. That’s the most important part.”

That will have to be enough to reassure Flyers’ fans out there.