John Marino

Outside of an upper-body ailment which cost him a little over a month from late December to late January, Marino had a strong first season in New Jersey. He provided a steadying presence on the blue line for the Devils, averaging a career-high 21:04 per game while providing some secondary offense (four goals, 18 points) and a plus-21 rating. Marino doesn't offer much in terms of hits or blocks, recording 44 and 81, respectively, in 2022-23, so his fantasy value is quite limited, but he's going to help New Jersey win hockey games once again in 2023-24.

Set to play this entire season at age 25, Marino seemed to be a long-term building block for the Penguins. Instead, they shipped him to New Jersey over the summer in exchange for fellow rearguard Ty Smith and a third-round draft pick. Marino has never scored more than 26 points in any one season, but he should get more opportunities to produce with this new club. That said, Marino's fantasy value will likely depend on how much power-play time he receives. With Dougie Hamilton and Damon Severson already on New Jersey's roster, there's no guarantee Marino will be deployed in such a role.

Stolen from the Oilers for a sixth-round pick prior to the start of the 2019-20 season, Marino has gone on to become one of Pittsburgh's most important defenders over the course of his first two NHL campaigns. His offensive numbers took a step back last season (3 goals, 13 points in 52 games) compared to two years ago (6 goals, 26 points in 56 games), but Marino again averaged north of 20 minutes of ice time per game (20:44) in addition to seeing additional time (1:24 per game) on Pittsburgh's second power-play unit. Marino is going to pick up his fair share of points due to the talent around him, but modest totals in both the hit and block departments make him nothing more than a late-round guy in most fantasy formats.

Some might feel it's a little early to crown Marino as Kris Letang's heir apparent, but that seems to be the general consensus among the Pittsburgh fanbase. In his rookie campaign, the 22-year-old wunderkind registered six goals and 20 assists, including four power-play points, and posted a solid plus-17 rating. Though his role with the No. 1 power-play unit was limited, Marino should see a larger share of the opportunities with the man advantage this year, boosting his fantasy value. Even with the shortened campaign, a 30-point season isn't out of the question for the Massachusetts native.