With training camp just a few days away, the Los Angeles Kings finished up some pressing business. Sean Durzi signed a new two-year contract with the club that carries an average annual value of $1.7M. The restricted free agent did not have arbitration rights this season.
Durzi, 23, burst onto the scene in his rookie year with 27 points in 64 games, while averaging close to 20 minutes a night for the Kings. Despite that strong performance, he stayed relatively under the radar, not earning a single vote in the Calder Trophy discussion and seemingly surprising the entire hockey world when he and the Kings pushed the Edmonton Oilers to seven games in the first round.
Fans in Los Angeles certainly weren’t shocked though, as Durzi made great strides in the minor leagues over the last few seasons and stepped into the NHL as a polished offensive option.
Acquired from the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Jake Muzzin trade (that also netted the Kings Carl Grundstrom and Tobias Bjornfot), Durzi had 50 points in 91 games for the Ontario Reign of the AHL, somewhere he doesn’t project to play for quite a while. His performance in the playoffs, when he logged more than 21 minutes a night in the first-round series, along with his youth and offensive upside, make him a pretty attractive piece for the team to build around.
Along with Bjornfot, Michael Anderson and Jordan Spence, the Kings actually have quite the impressive group of young defensemen ready to lead the way this year, not to mention Brandt Clarke and Helge Grans on their way as top prospects.
A contract like this, which will leave Durzi a restricted free agent again at its expiry, comes with the potential for huge surplus value if he can continue to improve. A $1.7M cap hit is very affordable, and if Durzi steps into a regular top-four role with power-play time, he will almost certainly outperform the deal right away.
As with every bridge deal, however, the team may have to pay for that bargain later, if Durzi is deserving of a long-term contract down the road. His next deal will certainly be buying out UFA seasons, meaning the price tag will go higher. He will also have the benefit of arbitration rights, an important factor for defensemen who rack up points like the smooth-skating youngster.
No matter what, for the next two years Durzi will be locked in as an inexpensive option for the team while Matt Roy and Sean Walker remain on the books. After the 2023-24 season both of those players are scheduled for unrestricted free agency, which will give the team a chance to reassess the financial situation.
The Kings have now completed their RFA negotiations for the summer and will focus on training camp later this month.
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