Utah HC signs Sean Durzi to four-year contract

Mikhail Sergachev has his defensive partner.

The Utah HC has signed blueliner Sean Durzi to a four-year contract extension with a $6 million AAV. The deal also includes a $10-team no-trade clause that will kick off on July 1, 2026.

Durzi is coming off his best season to date, scoring nine goals, 32 assists and 41 points in 76 games with the Arizona Coyotes. Prior to that, he had 38 points with the Los Angeles Kings in 2022-23 and 27 points the year prior, showing steady growth early in his career.

The Toronto Maple Leafs originally drafted Durzi 52nd overall in 2018, but he never played with the club. He kicked off his pro career with the AHL’s Ontario Reign in 2019-20 and spent two years in the minors before spending the majority of the 2021-22 season in the NHL.

Durzi emerged as one of the Coyotes’ top players last year, and will be expected to play a big part in Utah’s first season. The club made a big splash during the NHL Draft weekend, trading for Mikhail Sergachev and John Marino on Saturday in a push to make the team’s blueline much more competitive in 2024-25.

After entering the week with zero defensemen signed for next year, Utah has five blueliners locked up for at least the next two years. Michael Kesselring signed a two-year deal over the weekend, as did Juuso Valimaki. Joshua Brown and Travis Dermott are set to become UFAs, as well are minor league defenders Cameron Crotty and Steven Kampfer.

Up front, Travis Barron, Justin Kirkland, John Leonard, Ryan McGregor and Nathan Smith will become unrestricted free agents if not signed before 12:00 PM ET on July 1. The same goes for Travis Boyd, who was placed on injured reserve to finish the 2023-24 season.