Toronto Maple Leafs select defender Sean Durzi with 52nd-overall pick
By Austin Owens
The Toronto Maple Leafs went back to OHL defenceman for the second-round pick, selecting Owen Sound’s Sean Durzi 52nd-overall.
After taking Rasmus Sandin with their first-round pick of the 2018 NHL Draft, the Toronto Maple Leafs went back to the defensive pool for their opening pick of day two.
The team selected Sean Durzi of the Owen Sound Attack with the 52nd-overall selection in the draft.
The newest @MapleLeafs member @seandurzi is all smiles. #NHLDraft pic.twitter.com/b0ats0Bkiv
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) June 23, 2018
A Mississauga native, Durzi was drafted by Owen Sound in the 12th round, 228th-overall, in the 2014 OHL Priority Selection.
Durzi headed into the 2017-18 season with two years already under his belt in the OHL. His rookie campaign saw him pot 10 goals and add six assists in 45 games. He finished fourth in goals scored by OHL rookie defenders behind Mikhail Sergachev, Nicolas Hague, and Cam Dineen.
This past season was by far the best for the defender. He finished with 15 goals and 49 points in 40 games for the Attack. Durzi played his best hockey in the playoffs, where he registered 16 points while only taking two penalties in 11 games.
Owen Sound pushed Sault Ste. Marie to a game seven, but fell to the best team in the OHL in the decisive contest.
Mississauga-born Sean Durzi grew up loving Brian McCabe - and, of course, the #Leafs: "[I was] one of the biggest Leafs fans I’d say. It’s been a thing in my family for generations. I’ve been a Leaf fan my whole life and this is a dream come true."
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) June 23, 2018
The Leafs got an early look at Durzi after the defenceman attended the team’s development camp in 2017 so whatever he did this past season was good enough for them to take him in the second round.
Durzi is currently listed at six-foot, 183 pounds. He is a right-handed shot from the point and has shown the ability to produce offensively.
"“At 5’11”, Durzi doesn’t have that big size on defence, but he makes up for it with his skating. He moves up and down the ice with ease but doesn’t have elite speed. He is strong on his edges with very good lateral movement and an ability to beat opponents one-on-one. He picks his spots to jump into the rush or pinching at the blueline, almost always making the right choice.Durzi possesses a very good shot and is adept at walking the line and getting himself into position to fire it on goal. But he shoots with a purpose and usually puts it in a spot for a teammate to tip the shot or create a rebound. His ability to move also opens lanes and has good enough vision to setup his teammates.” – Dominic Tiano, OHL Writers"
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This is the second go-around in the draft for Durzi. While he is currently 19-years-old, that allows the Leafs to put him in the AHL if they decide to go that route.
The same goes for first-rounder Rasmus Sandin, who could also go to the AHL, among other options.
In his breakdown of Durzi, Ben Kerr made a loose comparison to Tobias Enstrom of the Winnipeg Jets. If he brings anywhere near what Enstrom does to the Jets, it’s safe to say the Leafs would be very happy with their selection.
Next: Maple Leafs select Rasmus Sandin with 29th-overall pick
What do you think about the Leafs second round pick? Do you expect him to play with the Marlies next season? Let us know in the comments below.