Utah’s Sean Durzi to return following 52-game absence due to shoulder surgery

The Utah Hockey Club will get a boost to its back end with defenseman Sean Durzi set to return to the lineup, Utah head coach Andre Tourigny confirmed Tuesday per Brogan Houston of the Deseret News.

Sidelined for the past 52 games after suffering a shoulder injury in mid-October, Durzi has been limited to four appearances on the season in which he has registered two assists with seven penalty minutes and a plus-two rating. Durzi now has the opportunity to return following a successful showing with the former Arizona Coyotes a year ago where through 76 appearances he notched a career-high 41 points counting nine goals and 32 assists.

Originally chosen 52nd overall by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2018 NHL Draft, Durzi has seen 216 career contests with the Los Angeles Kings, Coyotes, and Utah in which he has tallied 21 goals and 87 assists for 108 points. The 26-year-old Mississauga, Ont., native has also produced two goals and two assists for four points through 13 appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Durzi also saw success through part of three campaigns with the Ontario Reign, the Kings’ top minor-league affiliate, where through 91 total appearances he notched 11 goals and 39 assists for 50 points.

Per PuckPedia, Durzi is in the first year of a four-year pact that carries a $6-million annual average value.

Durzi rejoins a Utah squad that has battled injury challenges on its blue line for much of its inaugural campaign but has put together a 24-23-9 showing on the season and finds itself just six points shy of the Vancouver Canucks for the second wildcard seed in the Western Conference.

Following the conclusion of the 4 Nations Face-Off, Utah returns to the ice with a back-to-back beginning Saturday in Los Angeles before hosting the Canucks in Salt Lake City on Sunday.