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SALT LAKE CITY — The Utah Hockey Club heavily invested in defense this summer. One week into the season, though, the team's defense suddenly feels thin.
The team announced Thursday that first-pairing defenseman Sean Durzi will be out for the foreseeable future with an upper-body injury. NHL reporter Frank Seravalli said Durzi will undergo surgery and is expected to miss up to five months. Durzi left Monday's loss to the New Jersey Devils early and looked to be favoring his shoulder.
The 25-year-old signed a four-year, $24 million contract to remain with Utah this offseason.
It's the latest bit of bad news for Utah's blue line. The Hockey Club is already without John Marino, who is expected to play on one of Utah's top two pairings once he returns from an undisclosed injury; he is considered week-to-week.
"You cannot replace those guys. What you have to do is do what you do best for longer," head coach André Tourigny said. "Everybody has to be a little bit more consistent."
Meanwhile, veteran defenseman Robert Bortuzzo exited Wednesday's overtime loss to Anaheim early and didn't return to the ice. Sources told KSL.com that Bortuzzo's injury is not expected to be serious.
#NHLonPrime insider @frank_seravalli reports Utah HC defenseman Sean Durzi will undergo surgery and is expected to miss 4-5 months after an injury sustained Monday vs. NJD. pic.twitter.com/BwI9IBQYFa
— Sports on Prime Canada (@SportsOnPrimeCA) October 18, 2024
"It's just the next-man-up mentality. We're confident in what we have back there. It's a chance for a few guys to step up, chew a few more minutes here and there," Bortuzzo said before Wednesday's game. "I think if you come together as a team, or in this case a D-corps, you'll have success."
Michael Kesselring moved up to the first pair alongside Mikhail Sergachev for Wednesday's game and scored the first goal of the season by a Utah defenseman.
If Bortuzzo doesn't miss any time, the team will likely go with the blue-line pairings of Sergachev-Kesselring, Ian Cole-Juuso Välimäki and Bortuzzo-Vladislav Kolyachonok — at least until Marino gets back.
It will be up to that group to shore up Utah's defensive zone coverage that has regularly allowed prime scoring chances this season.
Utah called Patrik Koch up from the Tucson Roadrunners to give the team another depth option.
