Utah Mammoth’s 2025-26 Report Cards: John Marino

The Utah Mammoth’s 2025-26 season is officially over. The team finished with a 43-33-6 record, good enough to clinch the first wild card spot in the Western Conference. Despite a strong series, the Mammoth lost to the Vegas Golden Knights in Round 1 in six games. Meanwhile, their American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate, the Tucson Roadrunners, finished with a 34-28-10 record, placing seventh in the Pacific Division, outside of a playoff spot.

With the season in the books, it’s time to look at the 49 players under an NHL contract and grade their 2025-26 season. Over the course of this summer, we’ll take a look at their season, their future, and give them an overall grade. We’re going alphabetically by first name. Next up is John Marino.

Player Info

Age: 29

2025-26 NHL Stats: Four goals, 32 assists, 36 points in 80 games

2025-26 Postseason Stats: One goal, zero assists, one point in six games

Originally Acquired: Acquired in a trade with the New Jersey Devils alongside a 2024 fifth-round pick for a 2024 second-round pick and a 2025 second-round pick on June 29, 2024

Contract Status: In the fifth year of a six-year deal with a $4.40 million annual average value (AAV). Unrestricted free agent (UFA) in 2027

Season Overview

Out of most of the defensemen on the Mammoth, Marino might’ve been the most intriguing one going into the season. During the 2024-25 season, he only played 35 games for Utah due to injury. However, Marino looked pretty decent during those 35 games. Going into the season fully healthy, the goal for the defenseman was to prove why the Mammoth spent two second-round picks to acquire him.

Marino started the season on the top pairing with Mikhail Sergachev. However, two games into the season, head coach André Tourigny decided to switch up some things on the blueline. Marino was paired with newcomer Nate Schmidt ahead of the Mammoth’s third game against the Chicago Blackhawks. 

The change proved to be one of Tourigny’s best moves all season long. Marino produced his first point of the season against the Blackhawks and produced four more points in October. One of those points was his first goal of the season during a three-point outing against the Minnesota Wild. The plus-minus stat line isn’t the greatest to rely on, but Marino was a plus-four in October. We’ll get into some better defensive stats later.

Across November, Marino produced eight points. Despite none of those points being goals, most of those assists were great setups that showcased fantastic passing and hustle from the defenseman. That continued into December, where he produced four points, including one goal.

In January, Marino had a seven-game stretch where he produced seven points. That included two goals, the first of which was the defenseman’s first non-empty net goal of the season. In a shortened February, Marino produced three points in four games, all of which came in a game against the Vancouver Canucks.

As the Mammoth pursued a playoff spot in March, Marino continued producing assists (five during the month) while still being a part of the team’s most reliable pairing with Schmidt. Marino finished out the season with three more assists in April despite missing two games with an upper-body injury.

Marino finished the season with a career high of 32 assists and 36 points. The 36 points were the second most among all defensemen on the Mammoth. His four goals tied his second-highest total in his career. Marino played 80 games, the most he’s ever played in a single season. The defenseman also finished as a plus-42, the highest in his career and on the Mammoth. 

Let’s get into some deeper stats, though. The Schmidt-Marino pairing was on the ice for 63 Mammoth goals, the second most in the NHL. They also finished with the best d-rating in the NHL with a plus-29. Marino personally was in the 86th percentile for zone time in the neutral zone. The defenseman blocked 68 shots, had 23 takeaways, and had only 16 penalty minutes, the lowest amount in his career across a full season. Because of that, he got votes for the Lady Byng Trophy.

For Marino, it was a great return to form and more. His game really flourished on a pairing with Schmidt, and his play overall matured more. Due to the lack of penalties and being fully healthy, Marino was able to play some of the best hockey of his career.

“There are a lot of factors that go into it,” Marino said. “I’d say team chemistry, we had a tight group this year where guys want the puck and stuff. Then obviously, you just mature your game the older you get.”

Here's Johnny! 👏

1-0, Utah. pic.twitter.com/o0wpfcAsxO

— Utah Mammoth (@utahmammoth) April 30, 2026

In the playoffs, Marino continued playing well. At times, he played north of 25 minutes a night. He also scored his first-ever playoff goal in Game 5 despite the Mammoth eventually losing that game in double overtime. The Mammoth lost the series in Game 6, and Marino finished the playoffs with his lone point in the postseason being that Game 5 goal.

The Future

With guys like Logan Cooley, Nick Schmaltz, and JJ Peterka being locked up, the Mammoth have just two more core pieces needing extensions coming up within the next year or so. Those players are Lawson Crouse and Marino.

The blueline is such an interesting topic for the Mammoth. Outside of Ian Cole and Nick DeSimone, every player on the blueline is signed for next season. Marino is the only defenseman who has a contract expiring next summer. However, the Mammoth have at least four defensemen who will be ready for a full-time NHL role by then: Dmitri Simashev, Maveric Lamoureux, Artem Duda, and Max Szuber.

So, the Mammoth will have to make a choice. Not everyone can fit in. Yet, it’s hard to see them parting ways with Marino even though he is the only one without a contract after next season. He was arguably their best defenseman this season. His pairing with Schmidt was one of the best defensive pairings in the league. Parting ways with Marino doesn’t seem like the right choice.

Marino is eligible to sign an extension come July 1. We’ll see if either he or the Mammoth wants to rush into an extension or see how the 2026-27 season plays out. This past season was the first in Marino’s career where he hit the 30-point plateau. It wouldn’t be surprising if both sides want to see if he can maintain that strong play, so the defenseman can get more money, and the Mammoth can be sure in giving him another contract.

Refocusing on this summer, it should be an easier one for Marino as he doesn’t need to recover from any major injuries. We all know where he’s likely going to play in the lineup next season as well. His pairing with Schmidt should once again round out the Mammoth’s top four next season thanks to their great play and chemistry.

“On the ice, it speaks for itself, the way you’re getting meshed together,” Marino said. “Off the ice, we’re able to communicate pretty well, just with our personalities and everything. That goes a long way, too.”

Overall Grade

Offensively and defensively, Marino was excellent this season. His career high of 36 points and his contributions to his defensive pairing with Schmidt, which was one of the best in the NHL, were the big highlights of the defenseman’s year. His impressive stats made him arguably the Mammoth’s best defenseman this season.

As Marino approaches his third season with the Mammoth and his eighth season in the NHL, the defenseman’s stock has never been higher. With that, as of right now, a big payday is coming up. Will his strong play continue into next season to continue raising his price? It would be surprising if it didn’t.

Overall, Marino is getting an A for this season. Some defensemen on the Mammoth had mediocre seasons. Some of those players even admitted that. He is not one of those players. Marino’s strong two-way play and high ice time flourished this season, especially with his new pairing with Schmidt.

Last summer, the expectation was that Marino would play a majority of the 2025-26 season. Not only did he do that and play nearly a full season for the first time in his career, but he played some of the best hockey of his career. If he can continue the strong play going into next season, the Mammoth should consider not just bringing him back for the short term but perhaps for the foreseeable future as a core piece of a deep blueline, one of the team’s greatest assets.