The 23-year-old defenseman could have become a restricted free agent after this season. He scored 26 points (six goals, 20 assists) in 56 games last season, his first in the NHL, finishing second among Penguins defensemen behind Kris Letang (44 points; 15 goals, 29 assists) and fourth in the NHL in rookie scoring at the position.
"Just kind of soaking it all in and I don't know if it's really hit me yet," Marino said. "But a really cool experience, just thinking back to when you were skating as a kid and your parents were taking you to the rink. All those sacrifices that paid off. It was pretty cool to experience it with my family, friends and teammates."
Marino is in the second season of the two-year, $1.85 million contract he signed Aug. 8, 2019. He was plus-17, tied with defenseman Brian Dumoulin for the best among Pittsburgh skaters.
"I think it's important to stay with a team that really wants you, wants you to develop and progress as you go along in your career," Marino said. "It seems like a great fit with the coaches and the teammates. You might not have some of the same guys around later in your career, but you definitely want to be with an organization that wants you."
General manager Jim Rutherford said, "We are very fortunate to have a young, skilled defenseman like John in our organization. His rookie season proved he is a top-four defenseman with great hockey sense. We were impressed with his strong defensive play and look forward to watching him develop offensively."
Selected by the Edmonton Oilers in the third round (No. 154) of the 2015 NHL Draft, Marino was traded to the Penguins on July 26, 2019, for a sixth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. He had one assist in Pittsburgh's four-game loss to the Montreal Canadiens in the best-of-5 Stanley Cup Qualifiers last season.
"I think the pace and depth is a lot deeper at this level than at the college level," said Marino, who played for Harvard University from 2016-19. "... This year, going forward, I'm going to try to be more consistent and work on the offensive game. There's always things to work on."
NHL.com independent correspondent Wes Crosby contributed to this report
