NHL Notebook: The Arizona Coyotes acquire Sean Durzi from the Los Angeles Kings and the Carolina Hurricanes ink Jordan Staal to a four-year contract
1 year ago
The Arizona Coyotes announced Saturday afternoon that they had acquired defensemen Sean Durzi from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for a 2024 second-round draft pick.
The 24-year-old played 72 games last season for the Kings tying defencemen Drew Doughty with nine goals. Durzi added 29 assists for 38 points while averaging 19:47 time on ice.
The blueliner was originally a second-round draft pick by the Toronto Maple Leafs in 2018 but was acquired by the Kings in a trade that sent Jake Muzzin to the Leafs the following year.
The Kings recently signed defenceman Vladislav Gavrikov to a two-year extension, further strengthening their defensive group. By trading Durzi, Los Angeles can free up some cap space and can begin to work on strengthening their team in other areas, whether it be up front or between the pipes.
Durzi is entering the final year of his two-year $3.4 million contract extension with a cap hit of $1.7 million for this upcoming season. He will be eligible to become a restricted free agent with arbitration rights at the end of next season.
Here’s what Daily Faceoff‘s Mike Gould wrote on the details of the news:
Durzi emerged as a full-time NHLer with the Kings in the 2021–22 season, collecting three goals and 27 points in 64 games. He took another step forward to become a top-four option for the club in 2022–23.In Arizona, Durzi will compete for time with the likes of J.J. Moser, Juuso Valimaki, Victor Soderstrom, and Josh Brown. He has 136 games of NHL experience (plus another 13 in the playoffs), having amassed 12 goals and 65 points.Even after trading one of their picks to the Kings, the Coyotes still have three selections in the second round of the 2024 NHL Draft. They also have four second-round picks in 2025.
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Carolina Hurricanes sign Jordan Staal to a four-year contract
The Carolina Hurricanes have made their first off-season signing of the year by inking captain Jordan Staal to a four-year, $2.9 million AAV.
Staal, who has become a fan favourite and trusted player within the organization, was in his final year of a 10-year contract with a $6 million cap hit this past season. He inked the deal with the Hurricanes back in 2012 as 23-years-old after he was shipped to Carolina from the Pittsburgh Penguins for the eighth overall pick (used to take defenceman Derrick Pouliot), Brandon Sutter and Brian Duomolin.
After the Hurricanes’ playoff exit this past year, the forward expressed to the media that he wished to remain with the franchise and retire in Carolina’s red and white threads. The Hurricanes, who have had their recent run of success in the past years, continue working with a steady line of veterans mixed with some younger faces.
In 81 games this past season, Staal scored 17 goals and 34 points, with an additional two goals and eight points during the 2022-23 Stanley Cup playoffs.
Here’s what Daily Faceoff‘s Scott Maxwell reported:
He’s better known for his defensive play, tied for 12th in the league among forwards with 500 5v5 minutes of ice time in expected goals against per 60 with 2.09.Staal was originally a second overall pick of the Penguins in 2006, spending six seasons with the franchise and winning a Stanley Cup in 2009. He was traded to the Canes in 2012 for Brandon Sutter, Brian Dumoulin, and a 2012 first round pick that became Derrick Pouliot, and has since spent the last 11 seasons with Carolina.Staal is the first signing of the offseason for the Canes, although they still have two restricted free agents and 12 unrestricted free agents. Some of the big names they need to re-sign include Max Pacioretty, Frederik Andersen, and Shayne Gostisbehere.The Canes finished first in the Metropolitan and second in the NHL with a 52-21-9 record, and went all the way to the Eastern Conference Final before they were swept by the Florida Panthers. They currently have their first round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and will be selecting 30th overall barring any moves.
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