Pittsburgh Penguins Acquire John Marino

The Pittsburgh Penguins have acquired the draft rights to John Marino from the Edmonton Oilers in exchange for a conditional 2021 sixth-round pick. The Oilers will only receive the pick if the Penguins are able to get Marino signed or subsequently trade his rights before the 2021 draft. Pittsburgh GM Jim Rutherford explained why he made the deal:

John is a mobile defenseman who excels at moving the puck while also playing with an edge to his game. We are excited to acquire him as we continue to add defensive depth to the organization. The next step is to work on getting a contract done with him.

Marino was set to return to Harvard for his senior season and captain the team in 2019-20, but the Penguins are obviously trying to sign him right away. The 22-year old would be eligible for a two-year entry-level contract if he decides to turn pro. If he does go back, Pittsburgh would maintain his draft rights through August 15, 2020.

Selected in the sixth round back in 2015, Marino has developed into a nice two-way defenseman at Harvard that could potentially step right into a big role at the professional level. In 101 NCAA games he has 42 points and brings a physical presence in his own end, giving the Penguins a potential all-around talent to plug in down the line. While there’s no guarantee at this point he signs for the 2019-20 season, Marino would have an outside shot at playing in the NHL right away given his polish as a prospect.

The Penguins have plenty of talent on the blue line at the NHL level, but several of those names will likely be on their way out over the next few seasons. Justin Schultz, Erik Gudbranson, Zach Trotman and Chad Ruhwedel will all hit unrestricted free agency either next summer or the following one, leaving room for some prospects to take their place. Pittsburgh has been known to love the NCAA market, adding players that are much further along their development path than those straight out of junior. Marino is just the latest in that trend.

For Edmonton, this likely means that the young defenseman had indicated he wouldn’t sign with them—at least not this summer. If they had waited for him to complete his senior season they risked the allure of unrestricted free agency taking him away for nothing. Recouping a pick at least gives them another lottery ticket down the road.