Why the LA Kings were right to trade Sean Durzi

On Saturday, the LA Kings made their second noteworthy trade of the young offseason, trading away 24-year-old defenseman Sean Durzi to the Arizona Coyotes.

Sean Durzi came to LA back in 2019. The Toronto Maple Leafs originally drafted him as an over-ager in the 2018 draft, but he was later flipped to LA in the Jake Muzzin trade.

Throughout Durzi’s four-year period in the Kings organization, he played in both the AHL and NHL. He made his NHL debut in 2021 when he scored a goal and an assist in his first game. That solidified Durzi’s role on the team, and he hasn’t looked back since.

In 2022-23, Sean Durzi appeared in 72 NHL games and tallied 38 points. While he may have been an important piece of the power play and contributed to the offense, this trade needed to be made.

Today, we’ll review why the LA Kings did the right thing trading away Sean Durzi.

Depth

The LA Kings boast considerable depth in their prospect pool, especially on defense. This depth allowed them to make a deliberate decision to part ways with Durzi.

Durzi is only 24 but still too old to be considered a young-enough player. Statistically, most NHL players peak at the age of 27. With Durzi turning 25 in October, it may be best to look the other way.

Brandt Clarke was drafted by the LA Kings 8th overall in 2021. Ever since his draft, he’s been outstanding in the OHL with the Barrie Colts. In 2022-23, he managed to appear in nine NHL games. There, he tallied two assists. Clarke looked terrific in the games he played, and it’s safe to say some fans were upset that he was sent down. Although Clarke was ready for the NHL, there was no space for the Canadian defender.

Clarke was eventually sent back to Barrie. He later tallied 61 points in only 31 OHL games. Clarke proved how terrific of a defender he is, and there’s no doubt he’ll play in the NHL next season.

He possesses excellent puck-handling skills, smooth skating, and a powerful shot. His ability to generate offense from the blue line would add another dimension to the Kings’ attack, contributing to their scoring depth and power-play effectiveness. Durzi did similarly in LA on the power-play, but with Clarke having a far higher ceiling, it’s fair to say he’ll fill in Durzi’s role just fine.

Jordan Spence is another prospect who deserves consideration for a role on the Kings. While he may not possess the same level of hype as Clarke, Spence’s performance has been consistently impressive. His greatest strength lies in his playmaking ability and vision on the ice. Spence has demonstrated the skill to make crisp passes and set up scoring opportunities for his teammates, making him a valuable asset in transition and offensive zone entries.

In 102 AHL games over the last two years, Spence has 87 points. As an undersized defenseman, that is terrific.

Spence has also received NHL ice time, appearing in 30 NHL games, tallying two goals and nine points. Spence has been NHL-ready for about a year now, and with Durzi gone, Spence will finally be able to spread his wings and finally make an impact.

Defensively, Spence shows discipline and responsibility. He understands the importance of positioning and uses his agility and quickness to neutralize opponents effectively. His ability to move the puck swiftly out of the defensive zone and initiate controlled breakouts would benefit the Kings’ transition game and contribute to overall team success. Spence has that over Durzi, who consistently struggled in his zone.