On Tuesday morning, the Utah Hockey Club announced that Sean Durzi and John Marino had successfully undergone surgeries. Durzi underwent surgery on his shoulder, and Marino had work done on his back.
In an announcement via X this morning, the Utah Hockey Club stated that Durzi's timeline for a return would be four to six months. In contrast, Marino is not expected to make his Utah debut for another three to four months.
Here at Utah On Ice, we have covered these injuries extensively and discussed how significant a loss it is to have both guys on the sidelines. Specifically, the loss of Durzi left head coach Andre Tourigny with only one bonafide top-four NHL defenseman and a host of guys who have yet to prove reliable this year.
These defensive issues have started to show over the few games without Durzi. Still, these struggles will give some of Utah's young prospects a chance to make an impact, beginning with Maveric Lamoureux, who was recalled from the AHL Tuscan Roadrunners shortly after Durzi and Marino's recovery timelines were released.
Maveric Lamoureux to make NHL debut for the Utah Hockey Club
The Arizona Coyotes drafted Maveric Lamoureux with the 29th overall pick in the first round of the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. He played four years of junior hockey with the Drummondville Voltigeurs of the QMJHL. After being drafted before his final junior season, Lamoureux put up 33 points in 39 games and finished the year as a +21 in the plus/minus department.
This was good enough to invite him to the Utah Hockey Club's inaugural training camp, where he impressed the coaching staff and management.
He was one of the final cuts at the end of training camp, barely missing out on making the opening-night roster.
Despite only being 20 years old, Lamoureux, who is listed at 6'7 "and 214 pounds, will bring much-needed size and physicality to Utah's blueline. In addition to that, he brings some offensive upside, having finished last season in the QMJHL on a 0.84 point-per-game pace and having three points in his first four AHL games this season.
Lamoureux is genuinely an exciting prospect, but he is still on the raw side, and it will take him some time to find some comfort and confidence at the NHL level. However, Utah's blueline is in an ugly spot without Sean Durzi and John Marino's services, and Utah can't get worse with its experimentation with young players.
Lamoureux will make his NHL debut in the Utah Hockey Club's upcoming game against the Colorado Avalanche.