Edmonton Oilers fans won’t like to hear this, but one of their best non-first-round picks never played a game for them. Jon Marino was a 6th-round pick in 2015, the same draft as Connor McDavid, and was traded before signing his first professional contract.
The Oilers drafted Marino out of Harvard University with the 154th pick. It was an open secret that Marino didn’t want to sign in Edmonton once he was done at university. Oilers General Manager Ken Holland tried to recoup some assets by trading him to the Pittsburgh Penguins for a conditional 6th-round pick in 2021, which resulted in Edmonton drafting the recently named captain of Boston University, Shane LaChance.
At the time, the move didn’t seem too consequential, with Ethan Bear, Philip Broberg, and Evan Bouchard all part of the organization. Now, the team is out seeking a right-shot defenceman with skills at both ends of the ice, which Marino provides. Marino is known for his strong skating, good puck-handling skills, and ability to read the game effectively. He’s calm under pressure and makes efficient plays.
He’s now played five seasons in the NHL, split between the Penguins and the New Jersey Devils, where he was traded to in 2022. Marino has played 328 regular-season games, scoring 18 goals and 107 points. His best season came just last year, scoring 25 points in 75 games for the Devils.
The NHL’s newest team, the Utah Hockey Club, became Marino’s fourth team this summer. They acquired him in exchange for a 2nd-round pick this past draft and another 2nd-round pick in 2025.
Erik Gustafsson, Tobias Rieder, Jujhar Khaira, and Tyler Pitlick are the only non-first-round picks to have played more games than Marino. Unfortunately for the Oilers, those players, besides Khaira, played the majority of their games outside of Edmonton. Like Marino, Gustafsson and Rieder were unsigned prospects forcing them to find new homes early. Pitlick showed promise, scoring 8 goals in 31 games in 2016 but was quickly tossed aside, signing with the Dallas Stars.
The good news for Oilers fans is that Edmonton is now a destination city in the NHL. They won’t lose prospects to the level of Marino anymore because the program has proven it can have success. Plus, they’ve shown they can develop players no matter the draft pick, size, or skill. It’s unfortunate that Marino didn’t stay in Edmonton, but the future is still bright for both him and the Oilers.
