The hype is not the problem. The problem is what happens when the hype starts looking entirely reasonable.
Porter Martone being placed first in The Athletic’s preseason Calder Trophy contenders list for the 2026-27 NHL season is not just another flattering ranking. It is a clear statement that his end-of-last-season surge left a real mark, and that the Flyers are expected to give him the kind of role that turns promise into production.
That matters because Calder projections are never just about name value. They are about usage, opportunity and the kind of deployment that can actually turn a rookie into a difference-maker. If you are being talked about as the favorite, it usually means people expect you to play real minutes, with real linemates, in real situations. Martone is being judged as more than a prospect now. He is being treated like a player who can matter from Game 1.
Why Martone sits at the top
Scott Wheeler’s case is straightforward enough: Martone’s tremendous showing in the NHL at the end of last season has put him in the strongest possible position. He did not merely look comfortable. He looked like he belonged immediately, and that is the sort of thing that changes a preseason conversation fast.
Wheeler’s view is that Martone looked like an immediate impact player and a potential needle-mover for the Flyers’ ceiling. That is the big idea here, and it is hard to argue with. When a rookie already looks capable of altering the tone of a lineup, the Calder conversation becomes less about upside in the abstract and more about whether the opportunity will match the talent.
And opportunity appears to be the key. The expectation is that Martone will have a meaningful role with the Flyers, likely in a setup that gives him a proper chance to produce. That is exactly why preseason rookie rankings can be so revealing. They are not pure talent lists. They are usage forecasts dressed up as awards predictions.
The Flyers part of the equation
The Flyers are clearly being framed as a team willing to let Martone matter. That is important, because rookies do not win Calder buzz by accident. They need minutes, they need trust, and they need the sort of power-play deployment that makes points possible in a hurry.
The expectation around Martone’s role suggests real offensive responsibility rather than a sheltered, low-impact introduction. If he is pushed into the kind of environment where PP1 or PP2 usage is part of the plan, the path to serious scoring production becomes obvious. That is why his fantasy appeal is so strong too. Managers are not just drafting a name. They are drafting projected usage, and Martone’s forecast looks like one of the safest in the rookie field.
There is still a long way to go, of course. Preseason favourites are not trophies, and rookie seasons have a habit of humbling anyone who gets too comfortable too early. But this ranking is not random praise. It is a direct response to what Martone already showed, and to the role he is expected to handle once the 2026-27 season begins.
In other words, this is not a case of a prospect being talked up because people are bored in the summer. It is a case of a player forcing his way into the conversation and staying there. If Martone delivers on the usage and the trust the Flyers appear ready to give him, the Calder talk will not look ambitious at all. It will look obvious.
