Sean Durzi recovering from shoulder surgery

LA Kings’ defenseman Sean Durzi is the latest player to have surgery so far this offseason after Thursday’s shoulder surgery.

During the end-of-season press conference, General Manager Rob Blake mentioned that the LA Kings had three players dealing with shoulder injuries in their series loss to the Edmonton Oilers. It would appear Sean Durzi was one of those players as the team announced he had successful shoulder surgery on Thursday:

The @LAKings have announced that defenseman Sean Durzi underwent successful shoulder surgery today (May 26). He will begin his rehabilitation process and is expected to be fully recovered for next season.

— LA Kings PR (@LAKingsPR) May 26, 2022

Durzi joined Viktor Arvidsson as players to have already gone under the knife since the season ended.

It was an impressive first season for the 23-year-old defenseman. Thrust into action with injuries to Drew Doughty and Sean Walker; Durzi averaged over 19 minutes of ice-time while picking up 27 points in his first 64 NHL games.

He was tasked not only with playing big minutes but also became the top option on the LA Kings’ number-one power play unit.

The Toronto, ON, native started the season in the AHL with the Ontario Reign and was one of the team’s best players in the early part of the 2021-22 campaign. In 13 games, Durzi recorded five goals – including three on the power play and one short-handed – while adding 11 assists.

Originally drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2nd round of the 2018 NHL draft, the Kings acquired Durzi and Carl Grundstrom in 2019 in a trade for Jake Muzzin.

With questions surrounding the future of the right side of the defense, the LA Kings can take solace in how well Durzi played in his first NHL action.