Devils acquire John Marino from Penguins for Ty Smith and a third-round pick

The New Jersey Devils have acquired John Marino from the Pittsburgh Penguins for Ty Smith and a 2023 third-round draft pick.

Marino is entering the second year of a six-year contract that carries a $4.4 million AAV cap hit. The 2015 sixth-round pick is a solid two-way defenseman that excels in his own end of the rink. The 25-year-old is capable of racking up points as well, averaging 27 points (4G / 23A) per 82-games through his first three NHL seasons.

Smith is in the final year of his three-year, entry-level contract ($863.3K AAV). The 22-year-old was a first-round pick (No.17 overall) in 2018 but seemed to take a step backward in 2022. After playing 20:07 ATOI in his rookie campaign, the Devils’ coaching staff didn’t have the same level of trust in him a season ago (17:30 ATOI). Smith can post terrific offensive totals and is an asset on the power-play. However, his defensive game still needs a lot of work.

The Penguins added Jan Rutta in free agency, making Marino a little more expendable. Acquiring Smith gives them a defenseman with potentially more upside and adding a third-round pick makes it a little more low-risk/high-reward for General Manager Ron Hextall. The trade also frees up $3.54M in cap space for the Penguins to sign a forward.