Martino moves so well off the puck to find pockets of space offensively in areas where he can get off a quick shot. He’s a master of the give-and-go. He identifies the best play before receiving the pass, then one-timer the puck to an open. Hook and slip passes allow him to contort his puck positioning to pass through defenders.
-EliteProspects 2021 NHL Draft Guide
Ayrton Martino at eliteprospects.com
Martino is another player that seems to be ranked far too low, he probably doesn’t even go in the first round, maybe not even the second. Why is he ranked so low? The usual culprits apply, he’s on the smaller side and not playing in the CHL or USDP. As well, Martino was playing in the OJHL in his pre-draft year, before switching over to the USHL. Players switching from lower level leagues in their pre-draft years are sometimes overlooked (Mangiapane, for instance). Martino, I don’t believe, is a future superstar but has a good likelihood of being a useful NHLer. He had good but not elite production in his pre-draft year, good but not elite production in his draft year. He compares with wingers like Ethan Moreau, Raffi Torres and Joshua Bailey.
Hockey Prospecting
An explosive skater, Martino’s first few strides ease his ability to pull away or catch opposing players. His speed serves as a true difference-maker, creating fast-break opportunities out of unlikely scenarios.
Preferring to move at high speed and pace, Martino occasionally mishandles puck, diminishing quality scoring or leading to turnovers. These instances do not occur at a frequency that causes mass amounts of concern.
2021 Draft Profile: LW Ayrton Martino
An explosive skater, Martino’s first few strides ease his ability to pull away or catch opposing players. His speed serves as a true difference-maker, creating fast-break opportunities out of unlikely scenarios.
An offensively imaginative forward, Martino possesses a high-level hockey IQ. He can read and react to plays, get himself into position before the play develops, and set up his teammate for quality scoring chances. With an elite scoring drive, Martino’s primary focus is attacking the net and producing a high-danger chance on goal, either off his stick or a teammate’s. Martino’s shot is both accurate and robust; this is most prevalent in his slot or mid-range opportunities.
Always engaged defensively, Martino does a good job consistently putting himself in place to disrupt plays. He remains active away from the puck and can effectively read what the offense attempts to accomplish.
Martino has an intense compete level and doesn’t take shifts off. It’s obvious he takes the game very seriously and doesn’t need three or four shifts into the game to get juiced up — he usually goes full throttle from his first shift to his last.
A highly intelligent player, Martino processes the game at an elite level. His creativity and vision allow him to create quality scoring opportunities at a high frequency, making him a player others must account for at all times.
2021 Draft Profile: LW Ayrton Martino
Martino has the offensive skill to develop into a top-six winger if he can continue to improve those skills he can develop into a top-six winger at the NHL level. He needs to be a bit more accurate with his shot as well as continue to work on his puck handling while moving at top speed. He can also continue to improve his strength and defensive game. Martino will have time to focus on improving these skills with plenty of practice time between games at the NCAA level. Martino’s game is reminiscent of Alex Tanguay. However, this is a stylistic comparison only and not one based on his skill and ability.
2021 NHL Draft #41: Ayrton Martino Scouting Report
Martino brings a very high-octane offensive game. He’s a strong skater with a smooth stride, weaving his way through traffic and avoiding defenders with ease. When given a breakaway opportunity, it’s difficult to catch up. When he’s in the offensive zone, he’s always moving with the opposition having difficulty to contain him. His edgework allows him to make sharp turns in order to break free from any kind of pressure that he’s facing.
He is relentless without the puck as he’s in constant pursuit, tracking it down in order to gain possession. He’s always in great position for a battle and even to make a quick stick lift for the puck and can quickly transition to offense as a result. Offense is always on his mind, even when he’s in a defensive situation. On the penalty kill, Martino has the smarts to intercept plays and make the opposition pay.
Martino’s offensive mindset gives him the potential to be a dangerous point producer at the NHL level. The combination of his shot and playmaking abilities will throw a lot of players off. It isn’t hard to see him as a very effective player at five-on-five and on the power play. He can be utilized on the penalty kill as he’s an efficient and reliable player in that situation.
https://thehockeywriters.com/ayrton-martino-2021-nhl-draft-prospect-profile/
“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… 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.” –
Tony Ferrari, DobberProspects
Ayrton Martino
“He has very quick feet and is able to generate acceleration very efficiently, being a constant threat and keeping defenders on their toes. He was able to handle the puck well through the neutral zone and made offensive zone entries with control and also showed some skill with a nice toe-drag around a defender to show off some flash to his game. Martino displayed very good vision consistently all game, finding teammates through traffic and creating many high danger scoring chances.”-
Dylan Krill, FC Hockey
2021 NHL Draft Notebook: Guenther, Hreschuk, Martino & More
“His passes are accurate, easily handled, and lead their intended target so they can remain in motion towards the net. On 2-on-1 opportunities, Martino knows to hold onto the puck long enough for a goal to commit to him as the shooter, then find a teammate for an open shot on goal. Martino is methodic and driven to be a multifaceted difference-maker in the offensive zone.”-
John Gove, The Draft Analyst
2021 Draft Profile: LW Ayrton Martino
This is definitely the kind of player who you can describe as slippery. In the neutral zone he is constantly turning so as to not lose momentum. He is always aware of who has the puck and his positioning since he wants to receive a pass already moving with speed towards the Ozone. Whether that is jumping the zone or just a few strides to start him off, he wants to be dangerous immediately. He has short crossover strides and he doesn’t use the length or power of his stride anywhere near to what he could but relies on his constant motion and shifting positioning to be elusive. It helps him be deceptive too but its hard to keep check on a player who never stands still.
2361 - Omaha vs. Lincoln - FCHockey
