The New York Rangers are integrating defenseman Sean Durzi into their lineup after acquiring him as part of the Vincent Trocheck trade. Durzi, known for his offensive skills and ability to quarterback power-play units, is expected to take on significant responsibilities in the top four defensemen role alongside Adam Fox and Marcus Pettersson. During training camp, head coach Mike Sullivan has praised Durzi’s passing abilities and defensive instincts, highlighting his potential to handle ice time effectively while providing offensive support.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-09-20,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
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.
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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.
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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.
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who → receive → camp
Durzi, 27, could help with the transition if Fox misses time this season.
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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.
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Sullivan → get → unit
He could help them with breakouts — something the Blueshirts struggled with last season.
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Blueshirts → help → breakouts
With his skating, Durzi could join the Blueshirts on the rush, too, Sullivan added.
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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.
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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.
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role → give → Rangers
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