Another Shoe to Drop for the Penguins?
The Pittsburgh Penguins today traded 25 year old defenseman John Marino to the New Jersey Devils in ex-change for defenseman Ty Smith and a 2023 third-round pick. Pittsburgh moves on from Marino who had 5 years remaining on his contract with a $4.4 million cap hit. Marino is owed $24.65 million in salary over the next five seasons.
🚨 TRADE ALERT 🚨
Big John is comin' to Jerz. 😤
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) July 16, 2022
The return will be seen by some as light in a lot of circles, but it’s been quite clear since the Jan Rutta signing that Marino’s days were numbered. Pittsburgh signed Rutta to help anchor the second pairing on the right side with a different style of d-man (that’s a discussion for another day if Rutta’s going to be over-extended in that role) and the worst kept secret around the league surrounding the Penguins was the Ron Hextall regime just never saw defenseman John Marino in the same light that the old regime did.
Mario’s name has just been out there for far too many months as Pittsburgh saw a third pairing level defenseman long-term. One team source on Marino said Chad Ruhwedel can do just about anything Marino could do for them and from a cap value standpoint, it made too much sense for the Penguins to go in this direction with more of a futures type return.
Smith, a 22 year old smallish (5/11, 175) left handed defenseman, can play a little. His most attractive attribute is the skill level he has in the puck moving game as the former first round pick (17th overall, 2018) has some tools the Penguins coaching staff can work with. Smith, though, struggled mightily in 21-22 with his decision making and has a ways to go in being a capable level defenseman in his own end, especially against rush situations. In 66 games with the Devils in 2021-2022, Smith had 5 goals and 20 points in 66 games. Smith has appeared in 114 career NHL games, totaling 7 goals, 36 assists for 43 points, including a minus-35 rating.
The Devils by including Smith in this deal shows they see Smith as a broken developing player whose long-term trajectory is more likely to be in the mold of Derrick Pouliot for example, a very similar styled defenseman as Smith was coming into the NHL, than someone who’s going to come close to living up to the billing of a top-20 pick.
MORE BUZZ
— Where this trade will be controversial in some circles is it was always believed if the Penguins moved Marino it would be more of a hockey deal. That’s the direction were often looking until recently.
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— One Marino trade did fall through during draft week that wasn’t between the Penguins and Devils. The deal was believed To read this insider news, subscribe to get “Inside Access”!
— The Penguins who need to add at least one impact forward to the mix, preferably two, essentially cleared $4.4 million in cap space as Smith is not eligible for waivers in 22-23 as Pittsburgh could place him in the minors to start next season. Smith is still 36 NHL games away from being eligible for waivers. For the player individually, this probably wasn’t the best destination as Smith’s viewed as being too good for minors where he needs all the NHL action he can get at this stage in his development. Unfortunately for him, he’s the clear 9th or 10th best defenseman in Pittsburgh’s organization as of right now.
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The Blue Jackets signed restricted free-agent star Patrik Laine on Friday to a four-year deal with an average annual value of $8.7 million.
Panthers got tkachuk 8 years $76million
They traded too much to get him
Penguins still have Nathan Beaulieu
In defence as well right ?
There will be too many new faces in the D. Department which can be bad until they get chemistry going
I think he is a FA.
I wish D had his depth cart updated
http://www.google.com
The Penguin defense last season was the highest paid in the league and the softest…
Rutta 2 Stanley cup champion and 3 straight finals appearances with Tampa provides some grit, dependability, net front presence and toughness. Petry provides strong out-let passes, has a booming shot, he is a big body and wont shy away from the physical play like Petersson/Matheson.
Ty SmIth….. watching video of him he can skate, pass, and I think Todd Reirden will make him good…like he did with Matheson
Move out Petersson for a 5h or 6th round pick..
Pens resign Kap for 2 yrs at $3.2 million per. That is $3.2 million per yr to much!
What a waste of money and talent…He has had two years to figure it out ! That is $3.2 that could have been used on somebody better… really only bad move by Hextall oh and Archibald!!
All else solid
Hell, Nasville just signed Nino to a two-year deal $ 8 million ($4 million per) Had we just let Kapanen walk we could have added just a little more to get Malkin a real good winger.
Mind blowing signing, he was dogsh*t last year… he better find that game. Hockey IQ is lower than sammiches everyday IQ
Matthew Tkachuk has informed the Calgary Flames that he won’t sign a long-term deal with the club, sources told The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford and Hailey Salvian.
The restricted free-agent forward hasn’t officially asked for a trade, but a move is now likely to happen.
Tkachuk reportedly provided the Flames with a list of teams he’d sign a long-term contract with, including the St. Louis Blues, Vegas Golden Knights, Florida Panthers, Nashville Predators, and Dallas Stars.
So after Pierre-Luc Dubois forces his way off yet another team that stinks and ends up in the dumpster fire that is Montreal, how long until he cries he wants to go to another team? He should team up with KD. I would never sign this guy. What an entitled brat.
The glaring hole on this team right now is who’ll be on Malkin’s left. Zucker cannot and should not be trusted to fill that void. Hextall has many ways he can create some cap room. He could trade a dman for a forward with a similar AAV, or he could sign a decent FA still remaining in Nino Niederreiter. Have his big body drive to the net and create space/opportunities for Geno and Rakell/Rust. Or be cheap and try out Sonny. ERod isnt it, neither is Heinen.
Zucker will be traded during the season
Will probably be on LTIR by then.
I have heard and this isnt a fact but where there is smoke there is usually some fire…
Phil Kessel is down to two teams Nashville and Pitsburgh and is willing to sign for the league minimum of $850,000 to $1.2 million.
Malkin Kesel and Rakell not a bad second line and at that price hell yes. He can still shoot and is a force on the power play, he will make moody malkin happy.
Zucker can go to the third line with Carter and Poehling…
Kessel is not the type of player the Pens should be pursuing, at this point in his career. Not even for league min. The team needs someone who can grind, go to the net, and play a solid two-way game. Kessel in his prime wasnt that player, and hes definitely not that now. Hes just not a fit at this point.
Wow thanks for clarifying that fat boy. All those years when I was saying I was wrong yet you drooled all over his chubby asss and now you say what I said few years back.
Welcome to earth buddy
Now go and bring back your hot dog cart
No Kessel, no cup in 2016. 100% fact! Not saying he should come back but give the man his due!
Phil Kessel is a 2-time Stanley Cup Champion, and the true Conn Smythe winner in 2016 for the Pens. I’ll copy and paste this part since you missed it… “Hes just not a fit at this point.”
Yea a 10m dollar guy playing on 3rd line while Sid plays vs top lines. A true Conn smythe deserving player. More like Conn artist I guess I’m US. You guys liked Con people. Look at the current president and that should say it all
Let’s see Zucker or Kessel gee I wonder who will score more and cost less… kling kling kling kling kling kling Kling Kling da da da da…da da dah …..answer is Kessel
I didn’t say he was coming I had heard he was down to two teams Pittsburgh being one of them. Look Evan Rodriques is gone, so is Danton Heinen, that is 37 goals out of the line-up who replaces that Teddy Blueger Brock Mc Ginn I don’t think so… I think Kessel is worth a shot for one year at that price he was pretty solid in Arizona last year 8 goals 44 assist 53 points two years ago 20 goals 23 assists 43 points both seasons solid will be better in Pittsburgh. we signed / have grinders Caguilla McGinn… Read more »
I dont care how many points he used to score, he’s not the player he was, and is not the player the Pens need. You dont check physicality off the list of needs because you signed #13/14 forwards in tiny boy Archibald and Caguilla. They need someone in that top 6 who can go to the tough areas, battle for the puck, and create space for the playmakers in Geno and Rakell. Kessel aint it.
I agree…. Sam We say this every year about the Penguins… Even when we had Hornqvist and Tanev….We aren’t tough enough, we don’t compete in the corners, we aren’t good in front of the net, we aren’t big enough. Every year Tom Wilson destroys a couple Penguins, this year Lingren in the playoffs took out Rakell in period one of game one, Trouba gooned Crosby out of the 3rd period of game 5 and all of game 6. We added Jan Rutta two time Stanley Cup champ physical and solid, Jeff Petry a big body, strong and physical. We have… Read more »
Ahahahha from 10m a year to 850k for chubby at least he realized he is a con man. Unlike our russian that will continue stealing paychecks
Dubois wants to be traded
Until he is not happy there and complains he wants to go somewhere else. Talk about a locker room cancer.
Jets have many locker room cancers wheeler , Kane was one
Big buff was and #55 is one too
No wonder Trotz never went there
One thing the Metro division will be stacked next year…
A lot of ways you can look at what happened today. I really didn’t want anything to do with Petry, but the more I think about it, the less I mind it. He can play on the PP and they’ve really solidified the right side on defense. MM was making almost 5m for the next 4 years, so the cap raise is less than 1.5 for a much better defenseman. Poehling could also help the bottom 6 and may have some untapped potential. I would’ve rather seen us get an impact LW, but after the Marino trade, I wouldn’t feel… Read more »
Poehling is intriguing. He had some promise coming into the league but hard to live up to anywhere near your potential on a shithoIe team in a shithoIe city like Montreal.
I think he will fit in Pittsburgh with the coaching and the system.
Matheson was awful but when he came to Pittsburgh, he had a career year this past season
But if these trades were what they wanted I would have just kept Ruhwedel on the third pairing an never signed Rutta an made a play for max Domi who got only 3 mill a season or Nino someone that could play top 9 or even Milano.
Rudwhedel was serviceable but not an everyday defenseman. Letang / Petry / Rutta is very very solid.
I also like Max Domi but who knew he would sign so cheap and with the Blackhawks of all teams..?? I like Milano on the cheap for possible third or 4th line slots.
Nino will be too much I think…
Yea I think Ryan Poehling is gonna be on the fourth line with Blueger an McGinn, but the 3rd line would be Carter, Kapanen an who???? Maybe Poulin? Or Nylander or Puustinen.
Carter Zucker and who ?
I think they move Kapanen and if not it will be Carter Kapanen Zucker..
The Rutta deal makes a lot less sense now. Ruhwedel is a solid, low cost 3rd pair RHD. Now he doesnt have a spot. Dumo or Petterson still need to go. And they need 2 NHL caliber bottom 6 guys. That Rutta money could have been used to fill that.
I still think Hextall moves Petersson…he is clearing out all the Rutherford guys !!
I think Hextall has more coming he may move Petrsson to free up $4.1 million go after a Tyler Motte for our 3rd line forward… I also heard a rumor from my nephew who lives back in Pittsburgh that the Penguins are trying to reacquire Brandon Tanev ??? Anybody hear anything ??? not sure who they would trade to get him ? While Marcus Petersson makes sense at $4.1 and Tanev is at $ 3.5 we are left a little bare on the left side. Ty smith while young and dynamic , a lefthanded shot, he was – 25 last… Read more »
Petry deal makes no sense
It is bit odd, but Petry is tough, has a great shot from the point on the power play, and can skate really well. I don’t like the fact that he has been a minus player 6 of his last 9 seasons. But sometimes systems help look how Matheson responded in Pittsburgh maybe Petry does as well. $ 6 .25 million dollar hot for 3 more years don’t like that..but we are in it for 2 / 3more years then its rebuild time.so Marino is young, but he has been inconsistent the last year and that horrible cough up the… Read more »
Npl Trades his hot dog Cart for a KFC bucket
So Marino to devils
Matheson to the habs
Pretty and Poehling
One is washed up and one is overrated but then again let’s see what happens in Pittsburgh
Hockey11 Jeff petry to the Penguins?????
yep it is done Petry and Poehling to Pittsburgh
Matheson and a 2023 third to Montreal..
it is odd but look we are in it for 2 / 3 years tops and then its rebuild time so…
Letang Petry Rutta is a solid right side
I don’t like Rudwhedel (he was serviceable) as an everyday player..
Just hearing from Elliot Friedman that the Canadiens are going to be trading Jeff Petry to the Penguins deal being finalized… mmmmhhhhh
Sam…. I hope your right he is only 22 and talented, but he was -25 last year, and sent down twice in the last two years.. Maybe Sullivan’s system and the amount of talent on the Penguins roster will help. This has to be a move to make another happen and if they move Petersson that is is $ 8.4 in cap space,
I think this trade shows what the league thought of Marino and his $4M cap. I’ll be interested in seeing Ty Smith in Sully’s system, with better overall teammates around him.