The New Jersey Devils traded former first-round pick Ty Smith and a draft pick for defenseman John Marino.
The New Jersey Devils continue to add this offseason while also continuing to move question marks on the roster. They traded defenseman Ty Smith and a third-round pick for Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman John Marino. This shows two things; the Devils felt the NHL defense needed an upgrade and they weren’t entirely confident in how things were shaping up.
Marino is a very good piece. He moves the puck well, and he adds a little more size than Smith. He’s not big by any means, but he’s slightly bigger than Smith. However, the Devils didn’t make this move for size.
Marino is a defenseman who doesn’t make a ton of mistakes. Smith was making more mistakes than we could count last season. This is one year removed from Smith being ranked as the best rookie defenseman in the league. We weren’t looking to give up on Smith, but turning him into Marino is an interesting move.
John Marino, acquired by NJ, is a top four defensive defenceman who can skate well, moves the puck, and takes very few penalties. Does not like to shoot the puck. #NJDevils pic.twitter.com/LU4xbBm4pZ
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 16, 2022
The Devils now have solidified the defense with the Marino move. This will knock the thought of P.K. Subban out of Devils fans’ minds. There is no room on the right side for Subban. He would have been a fine addition at a fraction of the price, but it might be best for all parties to move on.
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The Devils made this huge move on the defense when everyone was expecting a move on the offense. The Penguins were thinking about how to deal with its salary cap situation. This is a way for the Devils and Penguins to get the best of both worlds. The Devils solidify their defense and the Penguins get to take a flier on a young player who showed some really good aspects prior to last season.