After several offseason moves that have brought new faces to the locker room in Utah, the Mammoth’s most recent move has kept a key part of the team’s defensive core in Utah. On Tuesday, the Mammoth announced an eight-year contract extension for defenseman John Marino.
Marino is coming off a strong year with the Mammoth. He set new single-season career highs in assists (32), points (36), game-winning goals (2), and multi-point games (5). Marino and fellow blueliner Nate Schmidt were one of the most successful defensive pairings in the NHL last season. They were second among NHL defensemen in plus/minus (+42), and the duo had the highest goal differential at 5-on-5 out of every NHL d-pairing (+29).
Keeping Marino in Utah on a long-term contract allows the Mammoth to lock up a key piece of the blueline while the organization is in the hunt for a Stanley Cup.
“He’s a unique defenseman,” Armstrong explained. “…what (Marino) does is he brings a different element to our group. He can really move a puck. He is, for me, an elite puck mover. I think if you just watch how many times coming out of the zone, he just puts it on the forward’s tape in motion, it really creates offense from the backside for us.
“I think he’s had a huge effect on our group,” Armstrong continued. “…I think (Marino) just makes so many people better around himself. He was an important signing for us, and he gives us something that we don’t really have on the backside.”
There’s a trend in Utah that Mammoth players want to stay, and stay on long-term deals. Marino is the newest example of this as he signed the maximum term, following the leads of forwards Dylan Guenther, Logan Cooley, and Nick Schmaltz.
After just two-years in existence as a franchise, the newest NHL club has become a destination and that starts with the ownership.
“There’s a ton of factors that go into it,” Marino explained. “First off, Ryan and Ashley Smith, the job they’ve done in creating a winning environment, a place where players want to be. It goes from the new practice facility, them being on top of everything, and doing everything so quick. I just saw today (that general manager Bill Armstrong) touched on it, players are changing where they want to go, their no-trade (clauses, etc.) want to come to Utah, because of the special place that they’ve made it.
“Obviously the support from the fans and everything has exceeded expectations,” Marino continued. “It’s been unbelievable.”
It’s not just the organization or community that’s keeping Marino in Utah; it’s also the team on the ice. After making the playoffs and challenging the Vegas Golden Knights, the eventual Western Conference Champions, Marino has seen where this team is heading and wants to make sure he’s part of that journey moving forward.
“I think there’s a lot to look forward to, especially based off last year,” Marino shared. “How tight that (playoff) series was with Vegas … we’re obviously a young team and still have so much to look forward to.”
In addition to all of these reasons, Marino has found a home in the locker room with this team. From the brotherhood to the future, staying in Utah was the right choice for Marino, who was set to become an unrestricted free agent next summer.
“It feels great, especially being in a place like Utah, and how special this group is,” Marino said of staying in Utah. “Even people within the organization too. A lot of those young guys are locked too so the future’s really exciting. Those guys are only going to get better with each (year) as well. There’s so much to look forward to.”
