Confirmed Trade: [EDM/PIT] John Marino for a conditional 2021 6th round pick

[Halla]

He was ECHL bound. No room on the AHL team.

this ended up being a pretty bad take

 

[YP44]

this ended up being a pretty bad take

There were actually a few really good takes at the beginning too. Just pointing how he was not signing in Edmonton and would be a good pickup by the Pens.

 

[DakrSnooze]

It's too bad that he didn't want to stay with the Edmonton organization but overall I'm happy to see the kid having success. Congrats to him and the Pens.

 

[coopooter]

It's not a loophole.

Name another way a player can be a free agent without ever giving time back to the team that drafted him
Kaprizov can’t stay in KHL for 4 years and be a free agent

 

[bsu]

Karma for Justin Schultz

 

[gordonhught]

Agreed. Not sure when Edmonton became such a defensive powerhouse that a player on the top unit of Pittsburgh, producing some of the highest defensive numbers in the league playing against the oppositions top players, wouldn't even be the Oilers 7th defenseman.

Would not even be close to top 4 in Edmonton. If it was not for poor goaltending and lack of scoring wingers, Edmonton would be top 2-3 in the league.

 

[Joey Moss]

I agree, but the kid seems to deserve all the praise he's getting. Oilers really dropped the ball, again.

That's like saying NJ dropped the ball for trading Hall.

 

[Joey Moss]

There's always a way, they just didn't value him enough to make it happen.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

I don't doubt he wanted to go to a winning program after the way the Oilers treated him. Schultz probably talked to him about it.

 

[Paulie Gualtieri]

Would not even be close to top 4 in Edmonton. If it was not for poor goaltending and lack of scoring wingers, Edmonton would be top 2-3 in the league.

Christ...

 

[wej20]

Name another way a player can be a free agent without ever giving time back to the team that drafted him
Kaprizov can’t stay in KHL for 4 years and be a free agent

KHL is a special case because there is no transfer agreement. A player drafted from anywhere else have draft rights that will expire and allow him to pick a team rather than sign for the one who drafts him.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

The fact that he is a top 4 D now says a lot about the Penguins defense. He is playing sheltered minutes on a team with a few really good D and then a bunch of junk.

Bet you can't name very many teams where he plays top 4 minutes other than the Pens.

On most other teams in the NHL, he is bottom pairing or on the farm.

Nah. Marino is making a name for himself because the Pens recognized his talent right away.

Pens had a glut of NHL blueliners to start the season and Marino came into camp as the ninth defenseman.

He was the only one without NHL experience, yet the Pens recognized his talent early on and didn’t sink him because of his age like other org would have done.

They never sent him down to the A, and Sullivan made room for him and sat established vets so he could keep playing (which rarely ever happens in this league)

Sullivan quickly gave Marino important minutes and once injuries hit, Marino was put on the top pair and has thrived there for the last six weeks.

Pens and especially Sullivan deserve all the credit in the world for seeing how good Marino was and giving him every chance to succeed.

Now he’s rewarding them for it.

 

[McDNicks17]

Karma for Justin Schultz

I thought Schultz in Pittsburgh was karma for Justin Schultz.

I think a team owes us for the karma for Marino.

 

[Zen Arcade]

Christ...

"If the bad things about my team were all good things, my team would be really good" is the type of hard hitting analysis that keeps me coming back here.

 

[Skinnyjimmy08]

Skimming through this thread, it is quite evident who hasnt seen him play yet.

Also it isn't a Loophole... this was a situation that was specifically put in the agreement. It's not like all the lawyers and people involved in hockey forgot to address what may happen if a NCAA player finishes out his 4 years to get a degree(which is a VERY popular plan for kids). This was put in place

 

[Flying Dego]

Would not even be close to top 4 in Edmonton. If it was not for poor goaltending and lack of scoring wingers, Edmonton would be top 2-3 in the league.

Im not sure you've actually seen Marino play...well you'll have the chance on Friday to have your first look at him playing 25 minutes against McDavid and Drai.

 

[GOilers88]

It honestly wouldn't surprise me with this organization's stupid obsession with Larsson and Benning.

For instance, Joel Persson started off the season on the second pairing and played better in a top4 role than Benning ever has. When Larsson returned, they sent Persson to the AHL because for some reason they think they need Benning on the third pairing.

To be fair Benning has been great for this team this year. Highly underappreciated in my opinion. They've missed him since he went down because he is a solid third pairing guy and delivers exactly what's needed when he isn't thrust into a bigger role.

At least in my opinion.

 

[GOilers88]

I don't doubt he wanted to go to a winning program after the way the Oilers treated him. Schultz probably talked to him about it.

What way did they treat him? They drafted him, he did his four years of schooling and wanted to sign somewhere else. The Oilers did nothing wrong here, it's really very black and white.

 

[ChaoticOrange]

I always liked this prospect and thought he had NHL upside, but not *this* fast. Sucks for us, found money for Pittsburgh - who, I stress again - had absolutely no idea Marino was this good.

 

[Ctrain2k]

this ended up being a pretty bad take

It’s true he might’ve gotten a shot at bottom pair in the AHL when Day was injured, but he would’ve been in the ECHL. There’s a reason he didn’t wanna sign here, we’re really deep on D and he wouldn’t have been given an opportunity here.

 

[CupofOil]

To say that it made sense that the Oilers traded him is one thing, to say that he'd only be at best a 3rd pair guy while he's already a top-4 D right now and probably would be Edmonton's best RD is another. That's ridiculous to say.

It only made sense for the Oilers to trade him because he wouldn't sign and he would unquestionably be in the Oilers top 4 and probably on the Nurse pairing over Bear the way he's playing now. Any Oilers fan who says otherwise hasn't watched enough of Marino.
The Oilers gifted the Pens a really good one.

 

[Mr Positive]

Nah. Marino is making a name for himself because the Pens recognized his talent right away.

Pens had a glut of NHL blueliners to start the season and Marino came into camp as the ninth defenseman.

He was the only one without NHL experience, yet the Pens recognized his talent early on and didn’t sink him because of his age like other org would have done.

They never sent him down to the A, and Sullivan made room for him and sat established vets so he could keep playing (which rarely ever happens in this league)

Sullivan quickly gave Marino important minutes and once injuries hit, Marino was put on the top pair and has thrived there for the last six weeks.

Pens and especially Sullivan deserve all the credit in the world for seeing how good Marino was and giving him every chance to succeed.

Now he’s rewarding them for it.

Sure the Pens get some credit, but imo it's almost all on the player

The Oilers drafted Ethan Bear from the later rounds and he's looking like top 4 material atm, and I don't think it's because of a massive improvement in drafting and development. He worked his butt off and earned his spot.

But as for Marino, he wanted to try a different team and exercised his rights. It wasn't that the Oilers gave up on him or didn't think he had talent. In fact, he is a credit to Oilers drafting that they selected him

 

[chethejet]

I don't think Marino knew just where he would play or how he would play in the NHL. The Pens had scouted him with Scott Young and Kevin Stevens and were really high on him. So his success is a surprise as to the time line but they really liked his game. Edmonton took what they thought was a minor deal which most thought was about as good as they could get.

 

[Mr Jiggyfly]

Sure the Pens get some credit, but imo it's almost all on the player

The Oilers drafted Ethan Bear from the later rounds and he's looking like top 4 material atm, and I don't think it's because of a massive improvement in drafting and development. He worked his butt off and earned his spot.

But as for Marino, he wanted to try a different team and exercised his rights. It wasn't that the Oilers gave up on him or didn't think he had talent. In fact, he is a credit to Oilers drafting that they selected him

A player is always responsible for his own success, but they need an opportunity to show their talent and that’s exactly what the Pens gave him.

The fact he’s playing well on the top pair this soon isn’t something I’m sure was ever anticipated by the Pens, but make no mistake, they did their homework on him.

This wasn’t dumb luck and they just happened to fall into a good player by accident.

Pens scouted this kid and Kevin Stevens in particular, raved about him to the Pens brass. They basically pounded the table for JR to go after him.

Marino was planning on going back to school and the Pens told him he would have a legit shot to win a spot if he showed well.

As I explained in my other post, they bent over backwards to give him a regular hat in the lineup over more established D....

So ya Marino is making his own name, but the Pens aren’t accidentally getting lucky here.

They deserve all the props in the world for finding Marino and showing the ultimate confidence in his talent.

 

[Extra Texture]

It's too bad that he didn't want to stay with the Edmonton organization but overall I'm happy to see the kid having success. Congrats to him and the Pens.

That’s the right way to look at it. The circumstances are well documented about him not wanting to sign. But looking at the bigger picture, we’re not rival teams, and ultimately a situation where it works out for one team and doesn’t burn the other isn’t something to lose a lot of sleep over. And seeing a player blossom is a good thing no matter what.

I think back to a couple of years ago when the Pens finally jettisoned Derrick Pouliot. He went to the Nucks, got a lot more playing time, and for a while looked like he was developing into the player he was projected to be. It didn’t last, but at the time I was happy as hell that he was turning a corner and doing better. And I was glad to stop thinking about how he was supposed to be Filip Forsberg but Ray Shero bungled it

It’s been a few years, but the Oilers did this with Kassian. Picked up a guy who had issues and hadn’t lived up to his potential, and now he’s found a home and had real success. It’s only a matter of time before they happen upon another buy low success like that.