Penguins sign Marino to 6-year, $26.4M extension

The Pittsburgh Penguins locked up defenseman John Marino with a six-year contract extension that carries an average annual value of $4.4 million, the team announced Sunday.

Marino, 23, has one season remaining on his entry-level contract, so the deal will kick in for the 2021-22 campaign.

"We are very fortunate to have a young, skilled defenseman like John in our organization," general manager Jim Rutherford said. "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."

The Edmonton Oilers drafted Marino in 2015. He then spent three seasons at Harvard before Edmonton dealt his rights to the Pens for a sixth-round pick prior to his rookie campaign in 2019-20.

Marino showed plenty of promise as an NHL freshman, registering 26 points in 56 games while averaging over 20 minutes per night.

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