REVEALED: What Devil Trade Will Recieve In Exchange Of John Marino

Things started off with a bang at the 2024 NHL Draft as a flurry of trades unfolded to open the second round. New Jersey got in on the action as the Devils trade defenseman John Marino and a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Utah Hockey Club.

In exchange for Marino, the Devils received the 49th-overall pick in the second round, Edmonton’s 2025 second-round pick. The Devils immediately selected goaltender Mikhail Yegorov, North America’s No.1 ranked prospect goaltender. The Devils also received a 2025 second-round pick.

The Devils are speculated to be in on pending free agent, Brett Pesce, and clearing out Marino’s $4.4 million cap hit gives General Manager Tom Fitzgerald $19,673,603 to work with in free agency.

AFP Analytics’ latest projection predicts Pesce to receive a five-year contract with a $6,283,200 cap hit.

The Devils acquired Marino from the Pittsburgh Penguins in July 2022. The 26-year-old defenseman played 139 career games on the Devils’ blue line. Marino scored eight goals and 43 points, blocked 170 shots, and recorded 83 hits.

The trade came immediately after the Utah Hockey Club acquired defenseman Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning. Perhaps the right-handed Marino could pair well with the left-handed Sergachev.

Marino has three years remaining on the six-year contract he signed with the Penguins in the summer of 2021. The former Devils defenseman is gaining a minimal no-trade clause on July 1st which allows him to submit a list of eight teams.

Marino is the second full time defenseman the Devils have traded who played on the blue line last season. The Devils traded Kevin Bahl to the Calagry Flames earlier this month in a package for new Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom.

It is also believed that Brendan Smith will become an unrestricted free agent on Monday, July 1st.

Fitzgerald is expected to be in the mix of plenty of activity between now and Monday and this could be just the first Devils trade of a few more down the line.