Wanna blog? Start your own hockey blog with My HockeyBuzz. Register for free today!
 

Which Penguin poised for biggest jump?

November 9, 2020, 3:36 PM ET [29 Comments]
Ryan Wilson
Pittsburgh Penguins Blogger • RSSArchiveCONTACT
When the next season starts, whenever that may be, there will be players who will trend up and there will be players who trend down. Every team will deal with this reality. Some of the improvements/regression are tied to aging curves. Some of the it will be tied to the pure variance of the sport.

If I had to pick one player on the Penguins to make the most positive jump in the next season it would be John Marino. He was great last year. His emergence as a top four defenseman is an amazing thing for the present and the future. His underlying numbers are terrific. Is there room for improvement? I think so



As you can see he’s been great. The area I think he can improve? I think he can see a bump in his offensive abilities. This isn’t outside the realm of possibilities. He is 23 so there is still some small growth to be had. There is also the fact he had no NHL experience before last season so the things he took away and learned from that experience will only help him moving forward. Kris Letang and Brian Dumoulin are still a power pairing and will allow Marino to have better matchups. The evidence is here as Brian Dumoulin plays the 10th hardest minutes in the league among defensemen




When I watch Marino I see a player who skates extremely well, thinks the game at a high level, and is able to handle the puck confidently. Unlike Dumoulin Marino doesn’t shoot the puck like a muffin so I think goal scoring is another area that can improve, not a ton, but probably ten or so goals a year. For these reasons I think Marino is primed to have a better offensive season next year. I think getting more offense from Marino will be something that needs to happen to offset the lackluster bottom six. I think he’s capable. Time will tell.

Thanks for reading!
Join the Discussion: » 29 Comments » Post New Comment
More from Ryan Wilson
» Penguins earn victory on Jake night
» A salute to Jake Guentzel
» Sid puts on show as Avs dig out of hole
» A dud in Dallas
» My thoughts on Dubas' thoughts