5 New Jersey Devils players who won’t return next season

Moving a player like John Marino would work in the Devils favor

John Marino may be a surprise here because when you look at his basic stat line, he hasn’t been bad at all for the Devils. Through 68 games, Marino is closing in on a career-high in points if he finds the net a few more times and/or logs a few more helpers. He’s logging more average ice time than before at 21:13, and he’s regularly getting in front of shots and stealing pucks. 

Like most of the Devils, however, we have seen some regression regarding Marino when you look at his more advanced numbers. Marino’s overall possession quality is in the negatives for the first time since his days with the Pittsburgh Penguins, his xGA is on pace for a career-worst, and his 66 on-ice goals allowed at 5-on-5 is shattering his previous high of 47. 

The blue line hasn’t lived up to expectations this season, but with players like Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec in their first full seasons and Jonas Siegenthaler limited to just 49 games so far, that was bound to happen. 

Marino hasn’t helped curb those growing pains, and with a looming base salary of $6.15 million coming up, Tom Fitzgerald would be better looking to move him this summer. It’s likely that Fitzgerald will hold discussions with other NHL general managers regarding Marino’s availability and that a notable trade is on the horizon.