PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Penguins are betting big on defenseman John Marino.
The team signed the 23-year-old Marino to a six-year contract extension on Sunday that carries an average annual value of $4.4 million.
The deal caps a meteoric rise for Marino, who was acquired from Edmonton in July 2019 in exchange for a sixth-round pick. Marino impressed as a rookie last season, scoring six goals to go with 20 assists in 56 games to go with a plus-17 rating. Marino is the sixth rookie defenseman in team history to register 20 assists.
The contract starts immediately and runs through the 2026-27 season.
“We are very fortunate to have a young, skilled defenseman like John in our organization,” Pittsburgh general manager Jim Rutherford said in a statement. “His rookie season proved he is a top-four defenseman with great hockey sense. We were impressed with his strong defensive play and look forward to watching him develop offensively.”