LA Kings Draft: Ayrton Martino 2021 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Martino is a player who has seen his draft stock slowly increase each passing month. So much so that he’s flirting with being a first-round pick. The Toronto, ON native, led the Omaha Lancers in scoring this season with 18 goals and 38 assists. More impressive, he led the team in scoring in 14 fewer games than the runner-up.

I feel like Ayrton Martino is one of the draft’s best-kept secrets. He’s not getting the attention that he deserves, which will make his future NHL very happy. He’s a gifted goal scorer, and while he’s not the fastest player on the ice, Martino skates well and has good anticipation. Some media outlets even have him as one of the top five playmakers in this draft class.

He’s slightly undersized, and he doesn’t do particularly well defensively, but there’s hope he can improve that going forward.

Something I noticed when watching his film, he displays great vision on the ice, always aware of where his teammates are to create scoring chances. He’s headed off to Clarkson University to play for the 2019 Tim Taylor ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year in Casey Jones next season.

While not a target with their first-round pick, if Ayrton Martino slips to the second round, the LA Kings have to pounce on the winger.

Ayrton Martino, LW

Vitals

• Age: 18
• Height: 5’10”
• Weight: 170 lbs
• Shot: L

Rankings

• Ranked #41 by ELITEPROSPECTS.COM
• Ranked #37 by FCHOCKEY
• Ranked #27 by MCKEEN’S HOCKEY
• Ranked #32 by SPORTSNET’S
• Ranked #53 by RECRUIT SCOUTING
• Ranked #32 by DOBBERPROSPECTS
• Ranked #34 by DRAFT PROSPECTS HOCKEY
• Ranked #34 by SMAHT SCOUTING
• Ranked #47 by TSN/McKenzie

Scouting Report

February 2021 – Attack, attack, attack. That’s the mindset the former OJHL star plays with. Ayrton Martino is an interesting prospect who has been on a journey all over North America in the last year. Playing with the St. Michael’s Buzzers in the OJHL last season before making his way to the BCHL to play with the Chilliwack Chiefs in the preseason this year. After the BCHL came into some COVID-19 issues forcing the season to halt, Martino made his way to Omaha to play with the Lancers of the USHL. That should be his final stop of the season and it’s been a good one so far. With his aggressive offense-oriented game, Martino has put up 16 points through 13 games and he doesn’t seem to be slowing down. The slightly undersized forward plays with pace, pushing defenses to try and get in his face to slow him down but he has the requisite skill to make things difficult and get to scoring areas. Off puck, he is a slash-and-dash player who attacks the middle of the ice over and over but rarely sits down in a spot. The game is becoming more free-flowing and dynamic and Martino is a player that exemplifies that. While there has been some talk in the prospect world of whether he can play center, his disinterest defensively doesn’t bode well for that. He has the skill to get a few takeaways in transition but isn’t a consistently committed in-zone defender, rather excelling when he is able to jump passing lanes and get into the route of the puck carrier, forcing a decision. He jumps for offense a bit at times but as a winger, he does a job of identifying when to do it. His biggest strength comes from how versatile he is in the offensive zone. Whether it be on the rush or patroling in-and-out of space in the offensive zone, Martino has no issue generating offense. The cerebral winger could be a big point-getter at the NHL level if he can get into a situation with a center who wants to push the pace and overwhelm opposing defensive units. There is a lot to like from the former OJHLer. Dobber Prospects/Ferrari

Production

• 19-20: 29G, 50A, 19 PIM in 48 games for St. Michael’s Buzzers (OJHL)
• 19-20: OJHL Second All-Star Team
• 20-21: 18G, 38A, 12 PIM +4 in 38 games for Omaha (USHL)