![Marino walking out the funnel onto the ice Marino walking out the funnel onto the ice](https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F815169a5-916e-4a84-8b86-14426dd8e16f_832x468.png)
John Marino got a raw deal in 2023-24:
He spent the majority of the season alongside green defensive partners (Kevin Bahl, Luke Hughes).
New Jersey’s overall structure imploded to such a degree that head coach Lindy Ruff was fired in March.
The Devils’ goaltending carousel ranked 30th in save percentage.
Their recipe for a defensive dumpster fire yielded just that. While the 27-year-old should have been part of the solution, the club shipped him out for two second-rounders in order to create room for prized free agent blueliner Brett Pesce.
Marino is now poised to fill his replacement’s role on an equally high-flying club in Utah. Here’s what he brings to the table.
Active Stick
At a glance, the sixth-year pro looks…borderline slow. That’s actually a choice (73rd percentile in top speed). Almost like a forward lulling his mark to sleep and stutter-stepping into space, Marino bides his time before springing into action. Once puck-carriers do enter his orbit, they promptly encounter one of the peskiest sticks in the league.
In fact, his game features very little physicality. He’s pared the art of defense down to a series of 1-on-1 fencing duels—and his well-rounded arsenal tends to surprise forwards. No one-and-done stands. He effortlessly switches from poke checks and mirrors to stick lifts and crouch blocks.
Since Marino (NJ 6) always has another move up his sleeve, he’ll badger you until you either cough up possession or reset elsewhere:
Off-puck passivity keeps his defense shy of true shutdown status, but his proficiency in 50/50 stick battles is impressive. Despite an ordinary 6’1”, 181-pound body, he boasts the reach of a much larger defenseman. From distance, he pokes and probes and shuttles you to the outside. Even when he appears flat-footed in transition, his range and precision enable him to pull off last-second recoveries.
In tight, Marino switches to a feverish fight for leverage, wrenching under opponents’ sticks to break their posture. A formerly mild-mannered rearguard suddenly becomes a relentless disruptor around the puck.
His ability to defend both long and short makes it quite difficult for forwards to create anywhere near him.
Watch how his wingspan can catch stars unaware:
The moment Jack Eichel’s (VGK 9) goal-line passing window closes, Marino shifts from crouch block to pressure. Most defenders would be content to funnel the center into the next layer of the PK (Chris Tierney, NJ 11), but Marino’s able to lurk close enough to tap the biscuit loose and work toward a clearance.
Not many blueliners possess the toolkit to snatch the puck away from a lanky pivot who thrives on protecting it.
You’d think opponents could exploit this length—especially through his triangle from the off wing. However, Marino displays good instincts and tracking in such scenarios:
With Matthew Knies (TOR 23) primed to attack the slot, his counterpart quickly claims a line that will deny the guts of the ice. Notice Marino’s patience on this rush. He doesn’t extend from the start and offer the Leafs rookie an avenue to improving his shot quality. He knows Knies wishes to return to his forehand, so he predicts the moment of maximum puck exposure and smothers the danger.
Thanks to his multi-level stick work, Marino was New Jersey’s strongest defender over the past two seasons. In what was widely considered a down year, he still registered the blue line’s second-lowest expected goal rate while absorbing its toughest minutes (13th-highest quality of competition in the NHL):
There are reasons to believe he can enhance his performance in Utah too.
The Devils’ PK frequently dragged defenders far from home plate (i.e. out of his comfort zone). D-men occupy a more traditional short-handed post under Tourigny, which should play to Marino’s strengths as a nuisance down low. Then there’s fellow newcomer Mikhail Sergachev. The longtime Lightning is no defensive stalwart, but he’s more polished than Marino’s 2023-24 partners were.
Although it may not feel that way (the stench of Coyotes ownership won’t dissipate overnight), Marino’s change of scenery should put him in position to succeed next season.
Puck Management
Marino’s unhurried style of play carries over to his decision-making with the puck as well. He’s craftier than you’d expect a defense-first player to be, often drawing in or waiting out forecheckers so that he can connect with his target.
He’s particularly adept at the old wall-and-stall. With that said, he doesn’t simply eat the puck and pray for assistance. He gives himself a cushion by holding the puck a couple of feet outside his frame, scanning the ice and identifying his outlet with a forward draped all over him.
They believe the puck is stapled to the boards, yet he’s ready to dispatch it:
In a sense, Marino’s willingness to play chicken with forecheckers is reminiscent of a very poor man’s Adam Fox. While he’s not as enterprising as the Rangers’ quarterback, his patience and passing touch stand out. He’s also quite fond of the middle of the ice, and he’ll routinely delay on the boards until the F2 glides out of the central quadrant.
Should that forechecker maintain their lane integrity, Marino will reverse to his defensive partner for a more spacious opportunity.
The following sequence was a common sight during his time in New Jersey:
After picking the puck out of the pile, Marino clocks that his half-wall outlet (Max Willman, NJ 46) hasn’t arrived. He doubles back and braces for Jean-Gabriel Pageau’s (NYI 44) pin while ensuring that the puck sits outside his feet so that he remains a viable passer. He then lingers in the corner to allow Casey Cizikas (NYI 53) to vacate the heart of the DZ.
The Isles basically skate Tierney open. Boards —> goal line —> left circle —> transition.
As a puck-carrier, Marino is unlikely to dust opponents in a north-south race. That’s why he leans on guile (tempo changes and slippery maneuvers) to gain ground and advance the puck for his squad.
Pay attention to how he navigates the Rangers’ NZ defense:
In a straight line, Chris Kreider (NYR 20) will overtake him in seconds. Consequently, Marino adopts a wide berth and hits a mini-Mohawk to choke out the F1’s bead on the puck. Once again, he acts deliberately, hanging on to bait a second forechecker (Jimmy Vesey, NYR 26) into engaging before dishing to Ondrej Palat (NJ 18) by the bench.
The best part of his distribution? There’s no high-giveaway tradeoff:
Granted, he wasn’t the Devils’ transitional ace, but those are nevertheless solid numbers against fierce competition. Moreover, if Tourigny does indeed slot him on the top pair, Sergachev will carry that load. All the Russian needs on the breakout is a partner who isn’t a puck-moving black hole.
Marino meets that standard and then some. He’s safe, cagey and effective.
Considering its young forward talent, Utah wisely decided to reconstruct its blue line over the summer. Sergachev is the big-name acquisition, of course, but Marino’s less celebrated signing could prove similarly impactful under the hood.
Righting the ship requires you to patch the holes first. That happens to represent his wheelhouse.