Confirmed with Link: Devils trade Marino and 5th to Utah for #49 and ‘25 EDM 2nd

[RSeen]

I assume Luke/Pesce will be the higher pair to start over Nemec and his D partner but once Nemec shows he can carry a 1RD responsibility, Dougie will probably be traded to make way for Seamus Casey and Pesce will be on the third pair. They have a decent path to cut costs in the future so the present isn't really that much of a challenge right now for them with regards to time of ice, it's more so understanding when the younger guys become those elite minute munchers we expect them to be which should be relatively soon.

Dougie is going nowhere. Has a NMC and submits a 10 team trade list starting 2025-26. Going to be very difficult to trade his last few seasons.

 

[devilsblood]

Bunch of AGE-ISTS around here. Im 34, I bet you all think I should be in a nursing home.

Dude we all watched the debate, we know what happens to you people.

We shall see what Monday has in store. But its pretty clear that Fitz has a very good plan ready, also, NJ is now a destination for players. People want to come here so it will make things go easier for free agency

Ya if we get Dillon and Pesce? Those are the 2 clear targets for Fitz, and he's going to get them both? That's a good sign.

fingers crossed of course.

 

[Ol Dirty Bstrd]

I’ll wait to see the Pesce contract but not a fan of dumping Marino even though the value was okay. He was asked to do too much last year.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Bunch of AGE-ISTS around here. Im 34, I bet you all think I should be in a nursing home.

Then what the hell am I supposed to do with all this prune juice?

 

[longislanddevil]

Marino doesn’t fit Fitz’ “harder to play against” mantra and he was awful last year. He didn’t even remotely resemble the player he was the season prior. Granted, the defense was a sh** show in general but it was maddening to repeatedly see Marino get beat, get boxed out and fail to clear the crease area. Even Dano criticized him and when does he ever do that?! We have highly skilled guys like Nemec and Hughes but need more muscle on the blueline. That’s really what this trade is about IMO. Devils’ brass prefers the play style of Pesce.

I think getting two 2nd round picks back is great work. Let’s keep our eyes on the big picture and be forward thinking here, as well. Yet another 2025 2nd round pick (three in total) and now two 3rd round picks, gives us plenty of ammo come trade deadline. All in all, I like this trade a great deal.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Dougie is going nowhere. Has a NMC and submits a 10 team trade list starting 2025-26. Going to be very difficult to trade his last few seasons.

After his 10M signing bonus is paid next July 1st 2025 he has very little actual salary remaining. Just 15M for his last three seasons, and half of that is his July 1st 2026 signing bonus, Starting July 1st 2026, he only only has a grand total of 6.25M cash owed over the last two years of his deal.

It will not be difficult to find a rebuilding team wanting to take a low salary/high cap contract to reach the floor.

Starting next summer he can be traded anywhere on his list without asking him. Even if a team isn't on his trade list, he can still agree to waive.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Marino doesn’t fit Fitz’ “harder to play against” mantra and he was awful last year. He didn’t even remotely resemble the player he was the season prior. Granted, the defense was a sh** show in general but it was maddening to repeatedly see Marino get beat, get boxed out and fail to clear the crease area. Even Dano criticized him and when does he ever do that?! We have highly skilled guys like Nemec and Hughes but need more muscle on the blueline. That’s really what this trade is about IMO. Devils’ brass prefers the play style of Pesce.

I think getting two 2nd round picks back is great work. Let’s keep our eyes on the big picture and be forward thinking here, as well. Yet another 2025 2nd round pick (three in total) and now two 3rd round picks, gives us plenty of ammo come trade deadline. All in all, I like this trade a great deal.

Yes. Marino was terrible at boxing out the crease last season and keeping guys to the outside of the crease and bad at finding the puck\battles in the crease. He had a really rough time against the top lines this past season. Losing Dougie really hurt the depth, I think ultimately. And not to forget, probably Graves was a lot better at the crease protection, the year before, and so therefore Marino was able to thrive more then.

Last year was a cascade of bad things.

My thought: If Dougie didn't go down last season like that early on, we'd have a lot better last season and we'd probably still have Marino today.

On a perhaps unrelated or related note: I remember the quotes Nico were saying during the dog days of last season right before Ruff was let go (or after he was let go). Nico had a post-game or pre/post-practice interview where he clearly stated that some guys "wouldn't change their game" or "were not following the coaches recommendations to stick to the plan ". Wondering now, if Marino was part of that, and if so that also explain why we were so willing to dish him out for an upgrade. Pitts fans were saying he was hard to coach before he left the Penguins. Read it about him from Pitt board awhile ago, and also it was mentioned in the HFB tradeboard thread by some Penguins fans.

It is what it is, it happened that way. Still hoping Fitz has a real plan to replace, because we can bash on Marino post-trade now, but he was still a very valuable / good defender if he wasn't outmatched in the crease, so as of this instant we are much worse off, until this upgrade is in place.

 

[Devil X]

Yes. Marino was terrible at boxing out the crease last season and keeping guys to the outside of the crease and bad at finding the puck\battles in the crease. He had a really rough time against the top lines this past season. Losing Dougie really hurt the depth, I think ultimately. And not to forget, probably Graves was a lot better at the crease protection, the year before, and so therefore Marino was able to thrive more then.

Last year was a cascade of bad things.

My thought: If Dougie didn't go down last season like that early on, we'd have a lot better last season and we'd probably still have Marino today.

On a perhaps unrelated or related note: I remember the quotes Nico were saying during the dog days of last season right before Ruff was let go (or after he was let go). Nico had a post-game or pre/post-practice interview where he clearly stated that some guys "wouldn't change their game" or "were not following the coaches recommendations to stick to the plan ". Wondering now, if Marino was part of that, and if so that also explain why we were so willing to dish him out for an upgrade. Pitts fans were saying he was hard to coach before he left the Penguins. Read it about him from Pitt board awhile ago, and also it was mentioned in the HFB tradeboard thread by some Penguins fans.

It is what it is, it happened that way. Still hoping Fitz has a real plan to replace, because we can bash on Marino post-trade now, but he was still a very valuable / good defender if he wasn't outmatched in the crease, so as of this instant we are much worse off, until this upgrade is in place.

This is a good point.

Marino's season he was good his role was different. He was more of the puck mover then the defender. I had not really thought about that. Fast forward to last season and he became the defender and less of the puck mover, he became the guy who had to be defense first and it didnt go well.

If the goal was to keep him with Luke this season we would have likely seen the same thing.

 

[Normal Devil]

I said I wasn't going to like this when it happens, and I don't. I am probably the most optimistic on a rebound for Marino (his 2022-23 was excellent) and I did not want him traded.

They're going to replace him with someone older, more expensive, and already declining. I don't think it's good.

I don't have any faith in Marino come playoff time, so I'm fine moving on there. Pesce is much more battle tested under the bright lights. We'll be better off for sure if we can get him locked down.

 

[devilsblood]

Maybe a factor in this, and maybe not.

But in terms of the Rempe effect, which is clearly a real thing, remember Marino was rag dolled by Miller during the battle royal.

 

[Whaddagoal]

This is a good point.

Marino's season he was good his role was different. He was more of the puck mover then the defender. I had not really thought about that. Fast forward to last season and he became the defender and less of the puck mover, he became the guy who had to be defense first and it didnt go well.

If the goal was to keep him with Luke this season we would have likely seen the same thing.

This season... I have some higher hopes that Luke will be stronger and overall wiser, even if it is just small steps, But it would have probably still been problematic with Marino, based on the combo we saw already.

 

[Normal Devil]

Maybe a factor in this, and maybe not.

But in terms of the Rempe effect, which is clearly a real thing, remember Marino was rag dolled by Miller during the battle royal.

Yeah .. it was embarrassing. I bet that was a factor in Fitz deciding to move on .. just not tough enough.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Maybe a factor in this, and maybe not.

But in terms of the Rempe effect, which is clearly a real thing, remember Marino was rag dolled by Miller during the battle royal.

I forgot about that, it was him getting swung around. Maybe a little. He was skinny and looked like he took the jack Hughes approach to the gym. Still funny but I think the box out fails were probably more a problem.

 

[devilsblood]

This season... I have some higher hopes that Luke will be stronger and overall wiser, even if it is just small steps, But it would have probably still been problematic with Marino, based on the combo we saw already.

Luke's frame to me suggests he will be a physical beast in his prime.

He's maybe the one guy I wouldn't want to go to hard in the gym. Work out for sure, but eat a ton of protein and stay limber, I think he will fill out naturally.

 

[JimEIV]

Marino doesn’t fit Fitz’ “harder to play against” mantra

The problem is who on this team that is of any consequence does?

There really isn't a single person....maybe Meier but for the majority of the past season he certainly didn't play like it. Nursing an injury is an obvious reason but that sort of highlights the problem...if there were a few more guys that could bring the pain no one would of noticed Meier not doing it.

It's a tough road to get to tough to play against with a base of Nico, Jack, Bratt, Mercer, Meier...what are you going to do? Where do add this tough to play against element...our 3rd line with Haula and Palat aren't all that difficult to play against either...I don't see how Fitz gets to the "hard to play against" status.
Certainly not in short term.

 

[RSeen]

After his 10M signing bonus is paid next July 1st 2025 he has very little actual salary remaining. Just 15M for his last three seasons, and half of that is his July 1st 2026 signing bonus, Starting July 1st 2026, he only only has a grand total of 6.25M cash owed over the last two years of his deal.

It will not be difficult to find a rebuilding team wanting to take a low salary/high cap contract to reach the floor.

Starting next summer he can be traded anywhere on his list without asking him. Even if a team isn't on his trade list, he can still agree to waive.

I believe its a 10 team trade list so he could easily just agree to 10 teams that have salary cap issues.

The money point you made though is good and something I did not account for. But the clause is certainly problematic.

 

[Zippy316]

The problem is who on this team that is of any consequence does?

There really isn't a single person....maybe Meier but for the majority of the past season he certainly didn't play like it. Nursing an injury is an obvious reason but that sort of highlights the problem...if there were a few more guys that could bring the pain no one would of noticed Meier not doing it.

It's a tough road to get to tough to play against with a base of Nico, Jack, Bratt, Mercer, Meier...what are you going to do? Where do add this tough to play against element...our 3rd line with Haula and Palat aren't all that difficult to play against either...I don't see how Fitz gets to the "hard to play against" status.
Certainly not in short term.

Hard to play against does not always mean toughness or physicality. That 2022-23 team was tough to play against because they were a cohesive unit that killed teams with speed.

I still think we can be tough to play against with that core, they all have their dog on a bone mentality in different ways. Just need to compensate for their weakness in who they play with.

Which it feels like is the main reason going from Marino > Pesce and presumably Bahl > Dillon. Two guys who aren’t pushovers and should in theory provide a good balance to Hamilton, Hughes, and Nemec.

 

[Whaddagoal]

The problem is who on this team that is of any consequence does?

There really isn't a single person....maybe Meier but for the majority of the past season he certainly didn't play like it. Nursing an injury is an obvious reason but that sort of highlights the problem...if there were a few more guys that could bring the pain no one would of noticed Meier not doing it.

It's a tough road to get to tough to play against with a base of Nico, Jack, Bratt, Mercer, Meier...what are you going to do? Where do add this tough to play against element...our 3rd line with Haula and Palat aren't all that difficult to play against either...I don't see how Fitz gets to the "hard to play against" status.
Certainly not in short term.

I agree there is a challenge to add this dimension with the core because most of them are not that type. But one thing I need to call out.

Meier was playing injured for about half a season or even more.

Let's be fair to Meier. MCL injuries, an oblique injury, and shoulder surgery after season.

Implying Meier is not a physical presence is silly and you know that.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I guess I just don't understand the obsession (by some) with wanting to move on from Hamilton. You saw how bad things got as soon as he went down last year.

Yeah, I get it, he makes a lot of money. But he is still a very good and productive player. Especially with the cap continuing to climb, I don't have much interest in moving him. At least anytime soon.

 

[Normal Devil]

I agree there is a challenge to add this dimension with the core because most of them are not that type. But one thing I need to call out.

Meier was playing injured for about half a season.

Let's be fair to Meier. MCL injuries, an oblique injury, and shoulder surgery after season.

Implying Meier is not a physical presence is silly and you know that.

I think we need him to enter beast mode this year. Needs to get back to being an alpha type. He routinely was among league leaders in hits and shots during a good stretch of his SJ days. He was an animal at times.

 

[JimEIV]

Hard to play against does not always mean toughness or physicality. That 2022-23 team was tough to play against because they were a cohesive unit that killed teams with speed.

I still think we can be tough to play against with that core, they all have their dog on a bone mentality in different ways. Just need to compensate for their weakness in who they play with.

Which it feels like is the main reason going from Marino > Pesce and presumably Bahl > Dillon. Two guys who aren’t pushovers and should in theory provide a good balance to Hamilton, Hughes, and Nemec.

When Fitz says he's looking for some "violence" and you look at the draft we just had and you look at the MacDermid addition...and add all of those up, there is no ambiguity in what Fitz means when says "tough to play against"

He's not talking a technical perfect defender like Lindstrom tough to play against, he's talking Claude Lemieux tough to play against...and that is pretty clear...to me anyway.

 

[Devil X]

When Fitz says he's looking for some "violence" and you look at the draft we just had and you look at the MacDermid addition...and add all of those up, there is no ambiguity in what Fitz means when says "tough to play against"

He's not talking a technical perfect defender like Lindstrom tough to play against, he's talking Claude Lemieux tough to play against...and that is pretty clear...to me anyway.

Its can be both.

Pesce is the more technical defenseman vs Marino.

Adding Dillon (if he does) and Cotter each had 200 hits last season.

They arent done so we will see that the rest looks like.

 

[glenwo2]

Then what the hell am I supposed to do with all this prune juice?

Drink it now, then take a dump later?

 

[JimEIV]

We need an enforcer like this

 

[glenwo2]

Well at least his last goal was assisted by the Big 2 :

https://x.com/i/web/status/1807117776923840752