We've reached the part of the season where we have one eye on the New York Rangers home stretch, hoping for the postseason, and the other on the draft board, looking into the summer and why the Blueshirts could use a few upgrades to the prospect pool. One name that interests me for the upcoming draft is Brampton Steelheads right winger Porter Martone. This player has everything the New York Rangers want in a prospect.
At 6'3", he is already a huge man. At 205 lbs, he's slightly underweight for his frame, but that will come with professional-level workouts. As he fills out that frame and grows an inch, this Peterborough, Ontario, native could run through walls. He fits the mantra of size the Rangers have been trying to preach in the draft under Chris Drury. He's everything this New York Rangers organization could want from the Ontario Hockey League.
Through his 57 games with the Steelheads this season, Martone has 37 goals and 61 assists for 98 points. While it isn't the level of production someone like Michael Misa has put up in the OHL, it's still imposing for someone with his size, making this player very likable among both scouts and teams. This will be one of the fascinating stories to follow heading into the draft and where this player could go.
New York's first-round pick is still in limbo as the Blueshirts are unsure whether they will possess it after the J.T. Miller trade earlier in the year. We'll see where that goes, but the Rangers know they could have a talent like this if they can win the lottery and pick in the top 10. Martone is projected to go somewhere around 4th overall, so they don't need to select 1st; they could trade up, in theory.