Sean Durzi signed a four-year contract with the Utah Hockey Club on Sunday. Financial terms were not disclosed.
The 25-year-old defenseman could have become a restricted free agent at noon ET on Monday. He had an NHL career-high 41 points (nine goals, 32 assists) in 76 games for the Arizona Coyotes this season.
"We’re thrilled to have Sean in Utah with the team for the next four years," Utah general manager Bill Armstrong said. "Sean is a reliable two-way defenseman who can anchor the power-play and provide offense from the blueline. He's a young, highly skilled defenseman with an incredibly bright future, and we look forward to having him as a core player for this organization."
Selected by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second round (No. 52) of the 2018 NHL Draft, Durzi has 106 points (21 goals, 85 assists) in 212 regular-season games for the Coyotes and Los Angeles Kings and four points (two goals, two assists) in 13 Stanley Cup Playoff games. He was traded to the Coyotes by the Kings on June 24, 2023 for a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
Utah also acquired defensemen Mikhail Sergachev from the Tampa Bay Lightning and John Marino from the New Jersey Devils during the 2024 draft. Defenseman J.J. Moser and forward Conor Geekie, a seventh-round pick in 2024 and a second-round pick in the 2025 NHL Draft were sent to the Lightning. Utah traded the No. 49 pick this year and a second-round selection in 2025 for Marino and the No. 153 pick in 2024.
"It's exciting for sure," Utah coach Andre Tourigny said Saturday. "We had to improve our [defense] corps and I think that's a step in the right direction, no doubt about it. I think it's two really good players."
NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen contributed to this report
