Say what you want guys. Graves 's game was the perfect compliment to Marino's. He does everything well that Marino can't do.
That isn't to say he's a great all round defenseman. But if you want to have a guy to do the heavy lifting around the net and in the corners and free a guy with good offensive instincts up to look up ice, he's your guy.
It's not Marino carrying him bc Marino isn't going to be Marino again until Bahl rounds out his game.
Marino would actually fare better with Miller or Smith as a complement. Not that they are 'better' by any stretch of the imagination; they are a better complement for him.
To be fair they call it a defense pairing for a reason and I think what you are pointing out are the synergistic effects pairing two compatible players can lead to. Graves did a nice job with Marino and likely both helped the other. Graves never had great offensive touch and Marino was never one to clear the front of the net. In a different world Graves would have had another season or two on his deal and he’d still be with NJ but his new contract needed to be somewhere else. Bahl has not gotten to the level of Graves yet but with some work he should be able to get there.