Overview
- Multiple outlets reported Tuesday that the Mammoth are closing in on an eight-year extension for 29-year-old defenseman John Marino worth $6.75 million per season that would run through 2034–35.
- Reports cite a sequence of movement protections — a full no-movement clause early, a multi-year no-trade clause, then a reduced modified no-trade list later — but those clause details come from PuckPedia and remain unconfirmed until the team announces the deal.
- Marino earned the offer after a breakout 2025–26 season in Utah when he played 80 games for four goals and 36 points, averaged about 20 minutes per night, and formed a top defensive pairing with Nate Schmidt.
- The reported extension fits Utah’s offseason plan to accelerate competitiveness by adding veterans such as Anders Lee and Vincent Trocheck and by trading for Mackenzie Weegar to deepen the blue line.
- If completed, the deal would raise Marino’s cap hit from $4.4 million to $6.75 million and keep him off the 2027 free-agent market, giving Utah roster stability but reducing some long-term salary flexibility; the contract has not yet been officially announced.