The Arizona Coyotes defensive core is looking a little bit different with the additions of Sean Durzi and Matt Dumba.
The Arizona Coyotes made major strides to add depth to their blue line acquiring both Sean Durzi and Matt Dumba this offseason.
The Coyotes made a statement trading for Durzi prior to the 2023 NHL Draft. The 24-year-old defenceman is coming off his second season in the NHL where he had nine goals 29 assists and 38 points showing he can be a legitimate top-four defenceman.
Durzi should see an increase in usage upon joining the Coyotes. He is ready for his new role and prepared to take another step in his young career.
“Part of being a good player, and part of being a good teammate, is being adaptable to any situation,” Durzi said via Coyotes senior writer Patrick Brown. “At the end of the day, you need a team that meshes well together, and you want to be a player that can do that for the team. "My role is not really up to me; all I can do is play to the best of my abilities. I'm really looking forward to the opportunity they want to give me, and I'm ready to play that role.”
While Durzi is just getting started building his NHL resume, Dumba is already an established veteran with a ton of experience. The 29-year-old played with the Minnesota Wild for 10 seasons before signing a one-year, $3.9 million contract with Arizona.
Dumba plays a strong defensive game which will certainly benefit the Coyotes but he is also looking to regain his offensive prowess that he showed early on in his career with Minnissotta and feels he is still capable of contributing at both ends of the ice.
“I've built up my defensive game, they want to see that continue, they want to see that grow, but also I have more to give on the offensive side of the puck and being able to jump into plays,” Dumba said. “There's a great group of forwards, they're very skilled and can make plays and have vision, so I'm looking to be a part of those rushes and to capitalize on those chances I get.”
Durzi fits the current age group of the Coyotes young defenceman that includes J.J. Moser, Juuso Valimaki and Victor Soderstrom. With a primarily younger core, Dumba provides a veteran presence who can help mentor these young up and coming defencemen.
The Coyotes seemed to be lacking defensive depth last season but the additions of both Dumba and Durzi will be huge in balancing out the team’s blue line.