Marino traded to Devils by Penguins for Smith
Third-round pick in 2023 Draft also goes to Pittsburgh for defenseman
By
NHL.com @NHLdotcom
The 25-year-old defenseman had 25 points (one goal, 24 assists) in 81 regular-season games for the Penguins last season and one assist in seven Stanley Cup Playoff games. He has five seasons remaining on a six-year, $26.4 million contract ($4.4 million average annual value) he signed with Pittsburgh on Jan. 3, 2021.
"John is a competitive, highly mobile defenseman who strengthens our back end," Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald said. "He takes pride in his game away from the puck and his puck management and ability to transition play will fit in nicely with our style and the strengths of our forward group. This is another move focused on improving our club today, while also providing certainty and stability for roster flexibility as we continue to build."
Marino is the latest in a flurry of offseason moves by the Devils, who were 27-46-9 last season and have qualified for the Stanley Cup Playoffs once (2018) since 2012. It began with acquiring goalie Vitek Vanecek in a trade of picks in the 2022 NHL Draft with the Washington Capitals on July 8, followed by forward Erik Haula in a trade with the Boston Bruins for forward
Pavel Zacha
on July 13.
RELATED: [2022-23 NHL Trade Tracker]
New Jersey then signed unrestricted free agent defenseman Brendan Smith to a two-year, $2.2 million contract ($1.1 million AAV) on Wednesday and forward Ondrej Palat, a two-time Stanley Cup winner with the Tampa Bay Lightning, to a five-year, $30 million contract ($6 million AAV) on Thursday.
"They want to be a competitive team and for years to come," Marino said. "They are putting the right pieces together. It's exciting to be a part of this team, especially with all the moves they have made now. I can't wait to get things going."
Marino joins a young Devils core featuring forwards Jack Hughes, 21; Nico Hischier, 23; Jesper Bratt, 23; and Dawson Mercer 20. Selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the sixth round (No. 154) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Marino has 64 points (10 goals, 54 assists) in 189 regular-season games, and two assists in 17 postseason games.
"The talent is there for sure," Marino said. "It's a young team but who knows where it is going to be down the road. Each step is important, each year is important no matter what the outcome, so it's going to be exciting to see things this year and get it going."
Ty Smith, a 22-year-old defenseman, can become a restricted free agent next season. Selected by New Jersey in the first round (No. 17) of the 2018 NHL Draft, he has 43 points (seven goals, 36 assists) in 114 games.
"We have high hopes for Ty," Penguins general manager Ron Hextall said. "We gave up John Marino for him, who's a very, very good NHL player. There's a little risk on our part there, but we feel pretty good about it. We've got a lot of defensemen (nine) right now, so we'll see how things play out with Ty. He doesn't need waivers, so we do have that option. But until training camp comes and we see what we have and how guys perform, we'll make those decisions when they're appropriate."
Smith had 23 points (two goals, 21 assists) in 48 games for the Devils in 2020-21, finishing seventh in voting for the Calder Trophy as NHL rookie of the year. He had 20 points (five goals, 15 assists) in 66 games last season.
"I was definitely fortunate to learn a lot about the game these first two years," Smith said. "I think I've kind of come a long ways as a player in a complete sense. But obviously, the numbers were a little better my first year. That kind of happens sometimes, I guess. Go through slumps a little bit in years. I'm really looking forward to next year and I was fortunate to learn a lot.
"I'm a guy that likes to skate. I kind of rely on that and my hockey sense, … my ability to make plays on the first pass. I think in Pittsburgh, they like that. They like skill and possession. They're a skating team. That's something that goes with the way I play, I guess."
Also Saturday, the Penguins also acquired defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Ryan Poehling in a
trade with the Montreal Canadiens
for defenseman Mike Matheson and a fourth-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft. Pittsburgh signed defenseman Jan Rutta to a three-year, $8.25 million contract ($2.75 million AAV) on Wednesday.
