Owen Martin – 2025 NHL Draft Prospect Profile

Even though Martin isn’t an elite point producer, his numbers significantly improved across his two full seasons with the Spokane Chiefs. His confidence on the puck and strong decision-making earned him a spot on Spokane’s second power-play unit. He went from 24 points in 2023-24 to 34 points in 2024-25 — driven in part by his eagerness to crash the net — despite playing 15 fewer games in the latter due to injuries. His plus/minus jumped from minus-12 in his first season to plus-16 in his second, indicating tremendous growth and maturity that NHL teams hope will develop even further.

He improved on offense and defense, the latter of which is probably the most appealing aspect of his game. He has a very high hockey IQ, and uses this to anticipate plays and position himself in passing lanes. He puts himself in the right spot, and his faceoff skill and willingness to block shots make him valuable on defense in general as well as the penalty kill. On the flip side, he needs to improve his on-puck defense, in terms of both taking the puck from players and dishing out hits. In fact, his physicality as a whole needs to improve — he’s sometimes hesitant to get involved in puck battles and often gets pushed away from the puck too easily.

Martin combines all of his strengths as an excellent transition player. Once he gains control of the puck in the defensive zone, he uses his ability to read the game to move confidently through the neutral zone and make smart decisions with the puck to generate offense whether through shooting or passing. Where many players might look to make the spectacular play, Martin consistently makes the right play and contributes to winning hockey.

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Owen Martin – NHL Draft Projection

Martin’s lack of offensive explosiveness prevents him from being a top-tier prospect in this draft, but his solid 200-foot game will give teams reason to go after him in the middle rounds. He’ll also have a chance to improve his stock as an invitee to this year’s combine. He is most likely a fourth-round pick, although a late third-round selection isn’t out of the question.

Quotables

“Martin is a right-shot two-way forward with great awareness and poise. He excels at reading the game and consistently puts himself in positions to succeed all over the ice. In the defensive zone, he takes away lanes effectively while playing both as a right winger and a center. He has a good stick and solid timing on poke checks.” – Nathan Hutchinson, FC Hockey

“Martin is a very fundamental forward. He’s responsible in his positioning, how he pressures opponents, and how he moves up the ice with possession. Not the quickest skater, but he’s nimble in his stickhandling and finds quick passes easily. Works well in systems and a special teams specialist. Good instinct for where to be, but doesn’t engage opponents with his stick or body enough to make a huge impact. He needs something more – a jump, more strength, more confident driving – that could bring his game to a top level, but as it stands he’s a responsible all-three-zones forward with great PK upside.” – Gabriel Foley, Recruit Scouting

Strengths

Under Construction – Improvements to Make

NHL Potential

Martin can make his mark in the NHL as the prototypical third-line center — someone who won’t dominate on offense but doesn’t turn the puck over, consistently makes the right play defensively, and plays a crucial penalty-killing role while also chipping in some scoring. If he can grow his offensive game, there’s a chance he could turn into a second-liner and even get power-play time.

Risk-Reward Analysis

Risk – 1.5/5, Reward – 3.5/5

Fantasy Hockey Potential

Offense – 5.5/10, Defense – 7.5/10

Awards/Achievements

Interviews/Links

Owen Martin Stats

Videos