If there is one young player fans of the Utah Hockey Club can’t wait to get behind, it’s definitely Mikhail Sergachev, and for obvious reasons. Sergachev’s play in Tampa Bay sent shockwaves throughout the NHL universe, so, naturally, he’ll be an instant fan favorite. But fans also shouldn’t forget about Sean Durzi, who also has a strong track record.
While Sergachev enters his age-26 season, Durzi will also be 26 this year, and with a cap hit of $6 million over the next four seasons, the right-shot defenseman will be part of Utah’s long-term plans.
Durzi spent his first two full NHL seasons with the LA Kings before he came to the Arizona Coyotes last year and saw ice time in 76 games. With 41 points and 32 assists, Durzi showed fans in the desert he could be a playmaker at the blue line offensively. He also showed off his durability, with 22:43 of average total ice time, proving he can play minutes on the first pairing if needed.
Sean Durzi will be another valuable blueliner on the Utah Hockey Club
With just 44 hits last season, physical play isn’t part of Durzi’s game, but let’s not make the mistake and equate hits with sound hockey. That would be a shortsighted error, especially when you account for Durzi’s positioning and one that saw him block 160 would-be shots.
Durzi also boasts a 50-plus career Corsi For Percentage at even strength, which is the number of shots, blocks, and missed shots a team takes in a specific situation when a player is on the ice, in case you weren’t sure what that was. This means that the lowly Coyotes garnered plenty of opportunities offensively with Durzi in the game, and it showed with a 10.8 on-ice shooting percentage and 73 on-ice goals for.
Durzi’s on-ice save percentage at even strength, or a goaltender’s save percentage while that player was on the ice in a given situation, has never looked good. That was the case last season when it sat at just 88.5 percent, which indicates more improvement is needed positioning-wise despite the basic stat of 160 shots that we shared earlier.
That said, don’t let the meager on-ice save percentage or the 74 on-ice goals against at even strength take away from Durzi’s value, especially when his team has the puck. This is someone who also quarterbacked power plays last year and provided help while short-handed, so Durzi is a versatile player who coaches trust in many situations.