The Los Angeles Kings are set to take on Sean Durzi and the Utah Mammoth in a pivotal Saturday matchup. As both teams are in the hunt for a wild card spot, now seems like the perfect time to revisit the trade that has had surprising effects on the Kings franchise.
In the summer of 2023, the Los Angeles Kings traded then 24-year-old Sean Durzi to the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for a second round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
It seemed odd at the time for the Kings to deal a defenseman who showed real promise in his first two seasons as a professional, but looking at the ripple effects the deal had on the organization, it's clear that both sides are happy with the outcome.
You may be surprised how the Sean Durzi trade tree has unfolded for the Kings.
In his first two seasons at the NHL level, Durzi proved he had what it takes to play with the big boys. During his two seasons in Los Angeles, the Mississauga native played 136 games, totalling 12 goals and 53 assists for 65 points. There was no surprise that a rebuilding team like Arizona showed great interest in acquiring him.
In June of 2023, the Kings and Coyotes agreed on a deal that would send Durzi to Arizona in exchange for a 2024 2nd round pick in 2024 that was previously owned by the Montreal Canadiens.
Durzi would only play one season in Arizona before the team relocated to Utah and became the Mammoth. His lone season as a Coyote turned out to be a career year for Durzi as he scored nine goals to go with 32 assists for 41 points in 76 games. His strong play led to him signing a respectable four-year contract extension worth $24 million, paying him $6 million per season.
After signing the new deal, the 2024-25 season didn't go Durzi's way as he would miss 52 games due to an injury he suffered that required surgery.
However, this season Durzi healthy and has provided some solid production for Utah as they push for the playoffs. In 52 games played, the 27-year-old has five goals and 19 assists for 24 points.
It's safe to assume that Utah views this deal as a success.
It would be completely fair to assume that the Kings used the second round pick on a prospect in the draft. However that was not the case, at all.
On June 27th, 2023, just three days after the Durzi trade, the Kings made a massive splash by trading for Pierre-Luc Dubois from the Winnipeg Jets. The Kings sent Gabriel Vilardi, Alex Iaffalo, Rasmus Kupari, and you guessed it, the 2024 second rounder to the Jets. With the pick, the Jets selected defenceman Alfons Freij who has played just two AHL games.
You would think it would end at that, but no, after just one year with the Kings, Dubois was dealt to the Washington Capitals in exchange for goaltender Darcy Kuemper in a one-for-one trade.
It's crazy to look back and realize how each and every move an organization makes has an impact moving forward, no matter how minor it is. The Sean Durzi trade to Utah played a part in the Kings acquiring a Vezina candidate and Olympian in Darcy Kuemper.
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