Devils trade John Marino to Utah

   I hadn't planned on writing about the New Jersey Devils on the second day of the NHL Draft since they lacked a second-round pick but the Devils and Tom Fitzgerald moved into the second round by trading defenseman John Marino and their fifth-round selection (153 overall) to the Utah Hockey Club (formerly the Arizona Coyotes) for Utah's second-rounder (49th overall) and Edmonton's second-round pick in 2025.

The twenty-seven-year-old Marino has played five seasons in the NHL, the last two with the Devils, and scored four goals with twenty-one assists in seventy-five games, finishing with a minus-six plus-minus rating.

New Jersey seemed ready to move Marino and needed to do so quickly as Marino's contract activated a no-trade clause on Monday, July 1, so the Devils needed to move during the draft.

When you consider the Devils were borderline desperate to deal Marino due to the deadline, New Jersey should consider themselves fortunate to receive two second-round picks.

The Devils have been connected to Carolina free agent defenseman Brett Pesce and removing Marino from the cap could make a signing of Pesce more likely with the additional space.

New Jersey used the second-round selection acquired from Utah to select a goaltender, Mikhail Yegorov of Russia, who played his junior hockey with the Omaha Lancers last season.

Yegorov's goals allowed average was .896 and a save percentage of .892 but Omaha was a terrible team last season, finishing last in the league, so that could have something to do with stats that aren't a standout.

At 6'5, Yegorov should cover the net well and was ranked as the top North American-based netminder in the draft.

Yegorov is the second goaltender selected in the draft behind only Ilya Nabokov, who was selected by Colorado with the thirty-eighth pick.