Rangers Eye Sean Durzi’s Impact

If there were any doubts about Sean Durzi’s capabilities, just think back to that game against the Mammoth on January 5. It serves as a solid reminder of what he can bring to the ice, particularly in terms of offensive contributions.

During the early moments of overtime, Durzi made a clever move toward the right post after his pass got deflected. He received the puck from Nick Schmaltz and managed to slip it past Jonathan Quick. It was one of those moments where you just knew he recognized an opportunity and seized it.

This goal was part of a performance that saw him finish with five goals and 27 points last season—not quite as stellar as his career highs of 41 and 38 points in 2023-24 and 2022-23, respectively. But it’s still a reflection of his solid skill set and the instincts he’ll likely bring to the Rangers after being acquired as part of the Vincent Trocheck trade on July 1.

Even though training camp has barely started, it’s clear that Durzi is set to become an essential player as the top right-handed defenseman behind Adam Fox. Head coach Mike Sullivan has been vocal about his expectations, emphasizing that Durzi can “eat minutes,” which is crucial because he has averaged at least 19 minutes of ice time throughout his five seasons in the league.

There’s also the potential for Durzi to play a key role on the second power-play unit. It’s all shaping up to be quite a daunting but exciting responsibility, especially after the Rangers revamped their defense line this summer. He’s ready to step up, possibly teaming with Marcus Pettersson.

In an interview post-training camp, Durzi shared his thoughts, saying, “I’ve played top four for most of my career. You want that pressure. You put it on yourself to perform, but, um, most importantly, you gotta believe you can do it.”

Essentially, he serves as a kind of insurance for the Rangers, should Fox’s injury issues from last season resurface. With Fox only playing 55 games last year, the team struggled to find a reliable replacement alongside Vladislav Gavrikov.

Braden Schneider, who got plenty of minutes filling in for Fox, faced some rough patches—he was on the ice for a whopping 63 goals allowed at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick. Currently, Schneider is working on the third pairing in training camp.

At 27, Durzi has the potential to ease the transition if Fox is sidelined again this season. Leading up to the preseason opener against the Devils, he’s been exclusively skating with Pettersson, who joined the team from the Canucks and has a history with Sullivan in Pittsburgh. It seems like a good fit for both players, especially as Durzi adjusts to the coaching style. He mentioned that Sullivan is straightforward, which he appreciates: “I think he has good offensive instincts,” Sullivan noted, reflecting on their early interactions.

While Durzi eyes a role in the power play, he’s also being considered for the penalty-kill unit. If he can help with breakouts—a significant issue for the team last season—and join in on the rush, it sounds like he could end up being pretty versatile.

As they move forward over the next few days and weeks, the specifics of Durzi’s role will start to take shape. While they haven’t focused on special teams yet during training camp, things will undoubtedly get more revealing once exhibition games start, the first being against the Devils.

Then there’s the regular season kick-off on September 29 against the Bruins. These initial games will offer insights into how Durzi fits into the team’s plans.

So far, his offensive skills have caught Sullivan’s eye. With two years left on his contract, Durzi has the opportunity to not only prove his worth currently but also to establish a long-term role with the Rangers. Given how things stack up behind Fox on the depth chart, his presence might be more crucial than anticipated.