Prospect Info: Leafs 2018 2nd Rd Draft Pick - Sean Durzi (6'0 196lbs, RD , Owen Sound Attack)

[Green Snow Storm]

So yes, we could’ve had him for free. Sorry but I haven’t hated one of our drafts in like 4 years, this feeling sucks.

Our draft last year was straight awful outside of Liljegren.

 

[Smif]

So yes, we could’ve had him for free. Sorry but I haven’t hated one of our drafts in like 4 years, this feeling sucks.

You know Duncan Keith was passed over and then drafted as an overager, right? He could be NHL ready in 1-2 years...

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Our draft last year was straight awful outside of Liljegren.

Agreed, and that was a gift to be honest. i'd give as much credit for drafting Liljegren as I would drafting Matthews. Very glad Dubas took over, as his approach looks to be much smarter.

 

[LeafGrief]

Here're some quotes associated with him on the blackbook:

“My opinion is the same as the last two years. Don’t you have my quotes from the last two years? - NHL Scout, May 2018

“Really good offensive instincts ...competitive player but for me the skating needs to continue to improve...a bit of a wide tracker.” _ NHL Scout, May 2018

“Good skater but for the most part, that’s all I see.” - NHL Scout, May 2018

“He’s like a 5’10” Vallati. Hockey sense just isn’t there for me.” - NHL Scout, May 2018

“I struggled to see him, he was injured for several games when I had Owen Sound on my schedule.I did see him late in the year. Maybe a late pick but that would be it for me.” - HP Scout, Mark Edwards

Interesting, thanks for the response! I do find it interesting how some of them disagree on his skating. Still strikes me as odd that such a decent write up still ends with a ND. I'm sure the criticisms are valid, but they don't seem severe enough to have the guy out entirely. Perhaps the overage bit is a contributor.

 

[TheGoldenJet]

I dont follow the OHL much and admit when it comes to most prospects I just watch some youtube clips and make a decision on the player off a very small sample size and a collection of the players best highlight reel plays.

When you do this you fall into looking into the players skillset quite a bit and the fact you never see them play actual games you dont get a good sense of all the other stuff that matters.

Had never even heard of Durzi before today but just from watching his video you can see he has a legit skillset, especially one that translates very well in todays game with his ability to skate, move the puck and finish plays.

This isnt me comparing or saying he'd ever be anywhere near as good as this former player but his size, skating, puck skills and shot look very similar to Zubov.

Totally uneducated opinion but this draft selection really excites me.

Zubov in his prime was a top 3 defenceman in the world. If he turns out to be even half the player Zubov was, this would be the steal of the draft right here.

 

[Zybalto]

Interesting thought experiment.

Just pretend that this kid was drafted last year in the 7th round....

After putting up the 3rd best PPG in the CHL for a dman and the best PPG in the playoffs, where would he go in a redraft?

How does he stack up against the rest of the D+1s?

 

[TheGoldenJet]

Interesting thought experiment.

Just pretend that this kid was drafted last year in the 7th round....

After putting up the 3rd best PPG in the CHL for a dman and the best PPG in the playoffs, where would he go in a redraft?

How does he stack up against the rest of the D+1s?

From what I’ve seen, Durzi is tracking like a high end 2nd rounder from last year. The Leafs basically got a slight faller with one bonus year of development already in the bank. He is that age where he could still peak early enough to contribute at the same time as Matthews, Marner, and Reilly being in their primes.

 

[Boutette]

Durzi, Liljegren, Lindgren all young RHDs with Marlies next year. Damn, the Leafs are going to have too many RHD in a few years. Half the Leafs trades on this site will be eliminated as there will be no need for them.

I'm just hoping the badgering about gifting Vancouver whatever they want for Tanev will end. D, L & L can't make the leap soon enough.

 

[HC7]

Interesting thought experiment.

Just pretend that this kid was drafted last year in the 7th round....

After putting up the 3rd best PPG in the CHL for a dman and the best PPG in the playoffs, where would he go in a redraft?

How does he stack up against the rest of the D+1s?

He's outperformed every D drafted in the CHL drafted last year including Foote, Valimaki, and PO Joseph.

 

[Stephen]

Liljegren, I think 90% of posters felt the same way I did, we were happy to get him.

Had we picked Bokk at 25, I think the consensus would’ve been similar.

Not that you draft for positional need, but you don't develop a blueline stash like the Nashville Predators or whomever by drafting a flashy scoring winger in the first round every year.

 

[Stephen]

Lilegren, Rasanen, Sandin, Durzi, Hollowel. Love the Dman we drafted the past 2 drafts. Always a good thing to stockpile RHD

Just because the Leafs have been short on RHD the past few years doesn't mean they're especially hard to come by.

 

[hockeywiz542]

Mississauga’s Sean Durzi goes from undrafted to Maple Leafs second-round pick | The Star

At age 19, Durzi, who had 49 points in 40 games for the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack this past season, is the latest of bloomers. He mostly played AA hockey with the Mississauga Braves as a kid. And it wasn’t until his OHL draft year that he moved up to AAA, joining the Mississauga Rebels en route to getting drafted by the Attack in the 12th round.

There’ve been other setbacks along the way. A couple of years ago he was found to have an extra bone in his ankle that needed to be removed after it became inflamed. The resultant surgery led to a slow start to the season that might have helped explain the lack of interest in his first NHL go-round.

Durzi is hardly a stranger to the organization. Last year, after his Chicago disappointment, he attended the Maple Leafs’ developmental camp and raved about the tips he received from Toronto’s contingent of “some of the best skills coaches in the world.” GM Kyle Dubas said the Leafs might have signed Durzi as a free agent last year but were hamstrung by a lack of room for a pro contract. As it was, they kept their eye on him and liked what they saw. Durzi, to his credit, used the crushing heartbreak of last year’s draft to further fuel his pursuit of the dream.

“He’s really transformed the way he lives day to day,” said Dubas. “Not that there was anything wrong before. He was a teenager before. Now you talk to him, he monitors everything that goes into his body. He’s very meticulous with his habits. He’s really become a pro in the year. And obviously it pays off for him today, going from undrafted to picked in the second round. We’re happy to have him.”

 

[LeafChief]

This website is so f***ing trash right now.

 

[HC7]

With both being in the OHL, how does he compared to Sandin?

I said before I thought that the Leafs value Durzi more than Sandin. You hope that Sandin can replicate the season Durzi just had.

Sergachev, Juolevi, Rielly... He outproduced all of them in his +1 year. ]

If anyone has an analytical way to judge his defensive game I'd love to see it, because at this point you have to assume if he is good defensively that he is a blue chip prospect in the same conversation as someone like Liljegren.

 

[Guided by Veseys]

I kind of laugh every time I see the "not who I would have picked" from those who haven't seen 95% of these players at this point (including the guys they "would have" picked).

It’s more sad than funny. People spend years defending their draft bias, sometimes it even lasts ten years, like in the case of Kadri

 

[hockeywiz542]

 

[93LEAFS]

ND = No draft rating

Usually reserved for head cases.

That ranking had nothing to do with him being a head case.

As explained in another thread, teams generally only rank 100 guys. Fans would be shocked if they saw some of the guys who would have not been on NHL draft lists over the years. Its most likely Durzi wasn't on a couple lists this year. I wouldn't have made this pick, but as a fan I'll obviously hope for the best and for Durzi (and some of the other picks) to prove me wrong.

Now, guys who you would usually rate skill wise in your top 100 or so, can be taken off for cases such as being a head case or serious injury risk. But, I'm pretty sure with Durzi, for some people it was being an overager and only emerging as a 19-year-old in the league.

The big thing with a pick like this (and Mac Hollowell), is we will quickly see if it was a good call. There is a very little buffer period. To make it worthwhile and a promising pick, he needs to be signed immediately to an ELC (taking one of the 50 contract slots) and they need to be effective in the AHL. In comparison, we should be expecting a year similar to the year Grundstrom had this year, out of Durzi next season.

 

[Zybalto]

That ranking had nothing to do with him being a head case.

As explained in another thread, teams generally only rank 100 guys. Fans would be shocked if they saw some of the guys who would have not been on NHL draft lists over the years. Its most likely Durzi wasn't on a couple lists this year. I wouldn't have made this pick, but as a fan I'll obviously hope for the best and for Durzi (and some of the other picks) to prove me wrong.

Now, guys who you would usually rate skill wise in your top 100 or so, can be taken off for cases such as being a head case or serious injury risk. But, I'm pretty sure with Durzi, for some people it was being an overager and only emerging as a 19-year-old in the league.

The big thing with a pick like this (and Mac Hollowell), is we will quickly see if it was a good call. There is a very little buffer period. To make it worthwhile and a promising pick, he needs to be signed immediately to an ELC (taking one of the 50 contract slots) and they need to be effective in the AHL. In comparison, we should be expecting a year similar to the year Grundstrom had this year, out of Durzi next season.

Durzi is still a bit of a mystery to me though. Even with his rough draft year, he was coming off surgery and had a miserably unsustainable shooting % but still managed to finish with 28th for OHL dmen with .63 PPG, ahead of many drafted players including Day, Dineen, Stanley and our own pick 2nd round pick Rasanen. Ive heard he needs work defensively and I know its a flawed stat but he was 13th in the league in +/- as well so he couldnt have been that much of a liability. It looks like he has a decent shot from the video I have seen so Im guessing his 2 goals in his draft year was the big issue for many.

You have probably seen the player in action so Im wondering what you think his weaknesses are? Jumping up to 1.23PPG (and 1.45 in the playoffs) is a hell of an emergence and Im guessing you dont think hes going to adapt well to the pro game?

 

[moon111]

".... I'm so happy to be a Leaf! Been a Leaf fan my entire life. This is a dream come true"
"Here have a hat!"
"WTF, didn't you read the What does everyone think of the Leafs 2018 draft hat design? thread? This POS is horrible."

 

[93LEAFS]

Durzi is still a bit of a mystery to me though. Even with his rough draft year, he was coming off surgery and had a miserably unsustainable shooting % but still managed to finish with 28th for OHL dmen with .63 PPG, ahead of many drafted players including Day, Dineen, Stanley and our own pick 2nd round pick Rasanen. Ive heard he needs work defensively and I know its a flawed stat but he was 13th in the league in +/- as well so he couldnt have been that much of a liability. It looks like he has a decent shot from the video I have seen so Im guessing his 2 goals in his draft year was the big issue for many.

You have probably seen the player in action so Im wondering what you think his weaknesses are? Jumping up to 1.23PPG (and 1.45 in the playoffs) is a hell of an emergence and Im guessing you dont think hes going to adapt well to the pro game?

I would have been happier with him in the 3rd. Obviously, at this point, I'm hoping for the best. Even if I preferred Addison or Wise at that pick.

I always am suspect of defenders (and players in general) who don't dominate until they are the oldest in there co-hort (outside of the 3 overagers on each team). Secondly, Owen Sound is an offensive powerhouse, and I tended to find in my viewings the offense was generally driven by Nick Suzuki, who is a good enough junior player to significantly impact it. He also has durability issues that date back to AAA. Yes, his ankle issue got fixed finally, but he still ran into more trouble this year.

Either way, we'll quickly find out if this was a smart gamble. Hopefully, the kid is like Montour who was also a 2nd rounder re-entry who has excelled and proven a bunch of people wrong.

 

[Prominence]

Durzi’s ppg production is actually how one would expect a defenseman prospect would turn out in d+2. I actually had this guy on my list last year and was confused why he was not taken. We drafted some high school guy who cannot even score more than 0.5ppg in a weaker league (bchl) AND he is +2 over a rhd like durzi in the 7th round. I am okay with this pick..most of the players i wanted were taken before durzi. Durzi in the 3rd round would have been more palatable. I thought this draft was okay...much better than last year’s where the 6 and 7th round picks were wasted.

 

[TMLeafs17]

A draft is made by if you get 1 player or not. Look back:

2012 - Rielly, Brown
2013 - Johnsson
2014 - Nylander
2015 - Marner, Dermott
2016 - Matthews
2017 - Liljegren

To say I was happy with the Lilly pick is an understatement, one player makes or breaks your draft in most cases. So yes, I was very happy with the 2017 draft.

 

[Stigma]

I like him but he’s not Calen Addison so I’ll take the next day or so to hate him and then forget about it and like him again

Haha! Brilliant. The psychology of draft weekend is fascinating.

 

[Guy Boucher]

I was heartbroken that Akil Thomas went just one pick before. He's legit and I would've been fine with him at 25.

But Durzi looks like a solid pick too. Had a great year for a D+1.

 

[LeafChief]

He's outperformed every D drafted in the CHL drafted last year including Foote, Valimaki, and PO Joseph.

This is very interesting.

 

[Cor]

Durzi is solid. Wanted Addison though.

I assume he’ll be back in Owen Sound. Will be interesting to see how he does

 

[kk87]

It's worth remembering that he's a late 98, so saying he's only had one more year of development than most of this draft class is a little disingenuous. That being said, even if he were a double overager, the way he dominated the O this year makes him a very worthwhile pick.

I think my biggest disappointment is that we didn't draft him late last year. He had respectable numbers, and clearly we had our eye on him if he got invited to camp, and instead we chose to throw away multiple picks that are extreme longshots to even be impact AHLers. Nevertheless, he's definitely a guy I'm happy to have in our system.

 

[Prominence]

A draft is made by if you get 1 player or not. Look back:

2012 - Rielly, Brown
2013 - Johnsson
2014 - Nylander
2015 - Marner, Dermott
2016 - Matthews
2017 - Liljegren

To say I was happy with the Lilly pick is an understatement, one player makes or breaks your draft in most cases. So yes, I was very happy with the 2017 draft.

Any team can convert on their first rounder. A stanley cup winner converts beyond the 2nd round. Washington: Stephenson, djoos, three goalies, orlov. Washington is not the best example, but holtby and orlov is still part of their core.

 

[PromoterDave]

Would've loved to sign this guy out of rookie camp last year but we didnt have contract spots. Durzi will probably be a solid NHL player

 

[PromoterDave]

Lilegren, Rasanen, Sandin, Durzi, Hollowel. Love the Dman we drafted the past 2 drafts. Always a good thing to stockpile RHD

 

[bonjovi0308]

With both being in the OHL, how does he compared to Sandin?

 

[Brolaf]

As others have touched on already, I think its notable that Durzi's rate of offensive production of 1.23 ppg is highest among all CHL defencemen with a 1998 birthday (a list which includes multiple first round draft picks from the 2017 and 2016 drafts ).

 

[Nithoniniel]

If we had drafted him last year at this spot, would we be happy with the pick now? I think the answer after this season would have been a clear yes. He leapfrogged a lot of his age group this year.

Saying "we could have had him for free" is the epitome of lazy hindsight. Nobody knew he'd develop like this.

It's similar to being pissed off that we didn't acquire William Karlsson cheaply from Columbus before the expansion draft. He was available after all.

 

[Scott Malkinson]

His age is the only concern but prospects don't always develop at 18. I like this pick and I trust our scouts.

A lot of OHL people rave about him.

 

[JEI]

I have a feeling he's going to be on the Marlies this year. If he can skate, he's already replaced Andrew Neilsen (he also provides power play aspects that Nielsen does).

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Durzi, Liljegren, Lindgren all young RHDs with Marlies next year. Damn, the Leafs are going to have too many RHD in a few years. Half the Leafs trades on this site will be eliminated as there will be no need for them.

 

[aingefan]

Just because the Leafs have been short on RHD the past few years doesn't mean they're especially hard to come by.

That doesn’t sound right.

Most players are left shots.

 

[Dayjobdave]

I think my biggest disappointment is that we didn't draft him late last year. He had respectable numbers, and clearly we had our eye on him if he got invited to camp, and instead we chose to throw away multiple picks that are extreme longshots to even be impact AHLers. Nevertheless, he's definitely a guy I'm happy to have in our system.

I think we need to remember that was the Lou regime, and now that Dubas has the final say he is putting his stamp on these types of players.

I know some posters wish we took him later, but that’s a dangerous gamble if some other team swoops in.

I like this draft. High ceiling, smart players with high skill levels, who want to be Leafs.

 

[zman77]

Excellent Tweet by Sean Durzi who was missed last year.
Heck of a pick by the Leafs.
Sean Durzi‏ @seandurzi 15h15 hours ago

A year ago today I sat through 7 rounds of the NHL draft waiting for my name to
be called and left hanging... today, I’m officially apart of the @MapleLeafs .
Don’t let anything or anyone get in the way of your dreams.
#LeafsNation

 

[justafan22]

Wouldn't shock me if he gets a cup of coffee next year.
Could be a NHL regular in 2019-20

 

[Mr Hockey]

So does this kid get a ELC/AHL contract or go back and be an overager in the OHL?

 

[LeafChief]

I would imagine Durzi starts with the Marlies next season. Being a 98 born, I'm not sure what going back to the OHL would do for his development at this time.

Very surprising to see he out performed man of the first round D chosen in last years draft.

At this point, is he further along than Rasanen (our 2nd rounder from last year) in terms of his development.

 

[A1LeafNation]

I would have been happier with him in the 3rd. Obviously, at this point, I'm hoping for the best. Even if I preferred Addison or Wise at that pick.

I always am suspect of defenders (and players in general) who don't dominate until they are the oldest in there co-hort (outside of the 3 overagers on each team). Secondly, Owen Sound is an offensive powerhouse, and I tended to find in my viewings the offense was generally driven by Nick Suzuki, who is a good enough junior player to significantly impact it. He also has durability issues that date back to AAA. Yes, his ankle issue got fixed finally, but he still ran into more trouble this year.

Either way, we'll quickly find out if this was a smart gamble. Hopefully, the kid is like Montour who was also a 2nd rounder re-entry who has excelled and proven a bunch of people wrong.

Dermott use to pass the puck to McDavid.

 

[PensFan101]

Congrats Leafs fans your team snagged a real gem here. I remember watching Sean as a skinny little dman at his first prospect camp at 16 and thought this kid was going to a player for sure. Four years later and he's a second round pick. The strides in his game have been unbelieveable and the only downer on his year were the injuries he had to face.

I was first optimistic with the depth of the Marlies that Durzi could be in tough and more likely to come back as an Overager. But reading the boards generally, I'm a lot less optimistic. Will be said to see him go but that's the way junior works and it's always good to see our boys move on the bigger things.

 

[SprDaVE]

So does this kid get a ELC/AHL contract or go back and be an overager in the OHL?

I'd say he's very likely to be on the Marlies. I'd be very surprised if he went back for his overager season and I'd be concerned about him already to be perfectly honest.

I think he's more than good enough to get bottom pairing minutes with the Marlies behind LoVerde and Liljegren. Lindgren and the rest of the depth can rotate.

 

[HC7]

If he's on the same timetable as Dermott he's going to the AHL.

 

[ObscureAlien]

I'm not super familiar with the CBA but are we sure that Durzi and Hollowell have to be signed right away? I'm aware they are '98s and next season will be their OA year but did we not retain Jack Walker's rights when he went back to Victoria to play his OA season? Walker is a '96 and picked in 2016, are the rules different for Durzi & Hollowell?

edit: I guess 93leafs did not say specifically that we need to sign him right away or lose his rights, my bad

 

[francis246]

I'm not super familiar with the CBA but are we sure that Durzi and Hollowell have to be signed right away? I'm aware they are '98s and next season will be their OA year but did we not retain Jack Walker's rights when he went back to Victoria to play his OA season? Walker was a '96 and picked in 2016, are the rules different for Durzi & Hollowell?

edit: I guess 93leafs did not say specifically that we need to sign him or lose his rights, my bad

they can go back to Junior for 1 year as an underager. I think we have 2 or 3 years to sign them to ELC's. I believe if they are CHL players we have 3 years to sign them. They can sign AHL contracts, Euro Contracts or go back to Junior as options.

 

[Zybalto]

Kids that put up his numbers rarely go back to junior unless they have to.

With the main concerns being injuries and a favourable environment in OS, I'm looking forward to seeing what he can do in the AHL.

When you look at a guy like Valimaki who is actually older than Durzi and didn't improve his PPG over his draft year, we may be sleeping on this kid a bit. He led his team(and all CHL defenders) in PPG in the playoffs as a dman and was actually fighting with Suzuki for the team lead in points the first couple of months before the injury. He also doesn't take many penalties. Rated to a full season, he was also in the top 10 for +/- (for defenders) which isn't an ideal stat but it shows he's no Merkley.

Yep, I'm intrigued about this kid.

 

[Joey Hoser]

I'm not super familiar with the CBA but are we sure that Durzi and Hollowell have to be signed right away? I'm aware they are '98s and next season will be their OA year but did we not retain Jack Walker's rights when he went back to Victoria to play his OA season? Walker was a '96 and picked in 2016, are the rules different for Durzi & Hollowell?

edit: I guess 93leafs did not say specifically that we need to sign him or lose his rights, my bad

I imagine they'll each get AHL deals and end up on the Growlers, if neither go back for OA years in the CHL. Sounds like Durzi is close enough that he could play for the Marlies, but he could get a ton of minutes in NFLD.

 

[ChrisCall]

Kyle Turris (Age 22) was traded to Ottawa for a 2nd Round Pick (during Burkes Christmas trade freeze).
Then he got gud.
Just food for thought that even for players in the NHL, development is a varying curve.

 

[Apotheosis]

I would love to see him in the AHL right away. Get him in the development pipeline right away.

 

[SprDaVE]

I would love to see him in the AHL right away. Get him in the development pipeline right away.

I'd be shocked if he wasn't. It will depend on his camp and performance out of the gate of course but generally, his development path is definitely one that is AHL bound.