If the Rangers needed a reminder of what Sean Durzi can provide and how one of their newest defensemen can add needed offense, they only have to look back to a Jan. 5 game against the Mammoth.
asserted
they → need → Mammoth
Early in overtime, Durzi veered toward the right post after his pass was deflected, received the puck from Nick Schmaltz and deposited the puck past Jonathan Quick.
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tRY IT NOWHe found the pocket of space during the 3-on-3 session, crashed toward the net and found a way to convert.
It marked one of Durzi’s five goals and 27 points last year — below his career-best seasons of 41 and 38 in 2023-24 and 2022-23, respectively, but still emblematic of his high floor — and captured some of the instincts he’ll bring to the Rangers after arriving as part of the return package in the Vincent Trocheck trade July 1.
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he → veer → trade
Even just a few days into a condensed training camp, it has already become clear that Durzi will fill a critical role as the top right-handed defenseman behind Adam Fox.
asserted
Durzi → become → Fox
He’s “gonna be able to eat minutes,” head coach Mike Sullivan said of the former second-round pick in 2018 who has averaged at least 19 minutes of ice time in all five of his seasons.
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who → go → seasons
He’ll get a “long look” as one of the options to quarterback the second power-play unit, too, Sullivan said.
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Sullivan → get → unit
And after a summer that featured the Rangers overhauling their blue line, Durzi has embraced the expectations that accompany his expected top four responsibilities — likely on a pairing with Marcus Pettersson.
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that → feature → Pettersson
“I’ve played top four for the majority of my career,” Durzi told The Post after the Rangers training camp sessions and scrimmage in Tarrytown.
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Durzi → play → Tarrytown
“You want that pressure.
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You → want → pressure
You put it on yourself to perform, but most importantly, you gotta believe you can do it.”
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you → put → it
With Fox limited to 55 games last year, the Blueshirts struggled to replace him on the top pairing alongside Vladislav Gavrikov.
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Blueshirts → limit → Gavrikov
Braden Schneider, who received plenty of opportunities as the Fox replacement, was on the ice for a team-worst 63 goals at 5-on-5, according to Natural Stat Trick, and has skated on the third pairing of the Rangers’ NHL group in training camp.
uncertain
who → receive → camp
Durzi, 27, could help with the transition if Fox misses time this season.
uncertain
Fox → help → time
Entering the first preseason game Monday night against the Devils, Durzi has skated exclusively with Pettersson — who the Blueshirts acquired from the Canucks and who played with Sullivan in Pittsburgh — and leaned on Pettersson while adjusting to Sullivan.
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who → enter → Sullivan
The Rangers coach, Durzi said, operates with “a lot of honesty.”
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Durzi → say → honesty
He knows that Durzi wants to be pushed and feels like he has “more to give” in every area.
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he → know → area
“I think he has good offensive instincts,” Sullivan said.
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Sullivan → think → instincts
“He can pass the puck.
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He → pass → puck
We knew that when we got him, and I think that was one of the things that attracted us to him.
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that → know → him
I can tell in the first three days he’s a guy that’s gonna be able to eat minutes, and when you have defensemen that are capable of eating minutes, those are good guys to have.”
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those → tell → minutes
In addition to getting a chance to audition for the power-play role, Durzi could also help the Blueshirts penalty-kill unit, Sullivan said.
uncertain
Sullivan → get → unit
He could help them with breakouts — something the Blueshirts struggled with last season.
uncertain
Blueshirts → help → breakouts
With his skating, Durzi could join the Blueshirts on the rush, too, Sullivan added.
uncertain
Sullivan → join → rush
The extent of Durzi’s role with the Rangers will settle into place across the upcoming days and weeks.
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extent → settle → days
They haven’t worked on special teams yet through three sessions of training camp, but they’ll open their exhibition slate Monday night against the Devils.
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they → work → Devils
Then, they’ll open the regular season Sept. 29 against the Bruins.
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they → open → Bruins
Those nights will serve as hints of Durzi’s role in the present.
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nights → serve → present
His offensive abilities, at least initially, have impressed Sullivan.
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abilities → impress → Sullivan
With two years left on his contract, Durzi will have a chance to carve out a role into the future, too.
asserted
Durzi → leave → future
Given his placement behind Fox on the depth chart and the relatively thin options behind him, his role for the Rangers could become even more vital.
uncertain
role → give → Rangers
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