<p><a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/utah-hockey-club/line-combinations">Utah Hockey Club</a> defenseman John Marino is sidelined on a day-to-day basis due to an upper-body injury, Utah head coach Andre Tourigny confirmed Monday per <a href="https://x.com/bellefraser1/status/1909319422507950387">Belle Fraser of the The Salt Lake Tribune</a>.</p>



<p>Facing the Central Division rival <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/winnipeg-jets/line-combinations">Winnipeg Jets</a> on Saturday, Marino left midway through the final frame and did not return after taking a puck to the head.</p>



<p>Through 35 appearances with Utah this season, Marino has scored once and added 13 assists for 14 points coupled with two penalty minutes and a plus-one rating. With it, Marino has averaged 21:10 in time on ice per game, tops among all Utah skaters behind only fellow blue-liner Mikhail Sergachev. Skating in his first season with the NHL’s newest franchise, Marino made his season debut in mid-January following offseason back surgery.</p><div class="injected-ad injected-video" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="0" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="131"></div>



<p>On the second day of the 2024 NHL Draft, Utah acquired Marino from the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/new-jersey-devils/line-combinations">New Jersey Devils</a> in exchange for a 2024 second rounder plus a second-round selection in the upcoming NHL Draft. Per <a href="https://puckpedia.com/player/john-marino">PuckPedia</a>, Marino is in the fourth year of a six-year contract that carries a $4.4-million annual average value.</p>



<p>Originally chosen by the <a href="https://oilersnation.com/">Edmonton Oilers</a> in the sixth round of the 2015 NHL Draft, Marino has totaled 363 career contests with the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/pittsburgh-penguins/line-combinations">Pittsburgh Penguins</a>, Devils, and Utah in which he has collected 19 goals and 102 assists for 121 points. The 27-year-old native of North Easton, Mass., has also added six points through 29 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.</p>



<p>With Marino sidelined, he joins an injured list in Utah that already counts forward Liam O’Brien and veteran defenseman Juuso Valimaki.</p><div class="injected-ad" data-nn-ad-tech-injection-count="1" data-nn-ad-tech-max-gap="130" data-nn-ad-tech-current-gap="134"></div>



<p>On the season, Utah stands 35-30-12 and nine points back of the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/minnesota-wild/line-combinations">Minnesota Wild</a> for the second wildcard seed in the Western Conference. Following Saturday’s 4-1 win over the Jets, Utah will try for its second-straight victory when the club returns to the ice Tuesday against the <a href="https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/seattle-kraken/line-combinations">Seattle Kraken</a>.</p>
