As part of the New York Rangers’ new revamped defensive core, Chris Drury went out and acquired Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi. 

The Rangers acquired Pettersson from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a 2030 top-ten protected first-round pick while they received Durzi from the Utah Mammoth as part of the Vincent Trocheck trade. 

The acquisition of Pettersson, a left-handed defenseman, and Durzi, a right-handed defenseman, provides the Rangers with a steadier second defensive pairing to complement Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov. 

Despite not specifically confirming that they’ll play alongside each other, Drury emphasized that adding defensemen who could have chemistry was a factor when going after Pettersson and Durzi. 

“You definitely take a look at what potential pairs could be, and as you all know, it's up to the coaches when the game starts, and the season starts, but you're looking for good fits,” Drury said. 

“We thought Gavy would be a good fit for Foxy during last year’s free-agent period. In these two trades, (we) certainly wanted to find guys that matched up and could complement each other in different situations, and I think if they are together, you know, Marcus and Sean could be a good pair together.”

During the 2025-26 season, the Blueshirts had a rotating cast of blueliners filling into the second pairing, including Braden Schneider, Will Borgen, Matthew Robertson, and Carson Soucy. 

The Rangers also selected defenseman Alberts Šmits with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, and the additions of Pettersson and Durzi give the team flexibility not to rush Šmits’ development. 

It’s far from set in stone, but in all likelihood, Pettersson and Durzi will make up the Rangers’ second defensive pairing to open up the 2026-27 season.