The Pittsburgh Penguins added to their prospect pool on defense Thursday, signing John Marino to a two-year entry-level contract.
The Penguins acquired Marino from the Edmonton Oilers last month in exchange for a conditional sixth-round pick in the 2021 draft. If Marino signed with the Penguins before the draft, the Oilers would get the pick. He did, so Edmonton will.
Marino, 22, was the Oilers’ sixth-round pick in the 2015 draft. A 6-foot-1, 181-pound right-handed shooter, Marino has been a regular on Harvard’s blue line for the past three seasons. He had 42 points and a plus-38 rating in 101 games. He’s known as a puck-moving defenseman with a bit of a physical edge.
“Adding a young defenseman like John to our organization will be very helpful,” general manager Jim Rutherford said in a release. “His development was accelerated last year, and he became a top-10 defenseman in college hockey, giving himself a chance to play at the NHL level.”
The Penguins’ top two defense prospects are Calen Addison, a second-round pick in the 2018 draft, and Pierre-Olivier Joseph, who was acquired from Arizona in the Phil Kessel deal. Marino and 21-year-old Finnish defenseman Niclas Almari wouldn’t be too far behind on the prospect depth chart.
