The New York Rangers are counting on Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi to form a solid No. 2 defense pairing behind Adam Fox and Vladislav Gavrikov. The two newcomers, acquired by the Rangers in separate trades on July 1, sound eager to do just that.
Pettersson and Gavrikov met the local media via Zoom on Thursday, with each looking forward to beginning his time in New York by helping the Rangers end their two-year playoff drought.
Each had nothing but nice things to say about his new home, his new team – and his likely new partner.
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“I know Sean’s game. I know he’s a great skater,” said Pettersson, who came from the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for a top-10 protected first-round pick in the 2030 NHL Draft. “He can move the puck. Offensive guy, but he’s got an edge to him as well, and stuff like that. I played with John Marino, who he played with in Utah, and he only talked good things about him in his game. If we are a pair, great.
“But it’s a great group of defensemen that we have, and I think we have some healthy competition there too, where you can mix match and see what chemistry works, what pairings work, and stuff like that. If I do get the opportunity to play with Sean, I think we’d make a great pair. We can complement each other very well. I like that edge that that he’s playing with.”
Durzi, who was the biggest piece the Rangers received in the trade that sent center Vincent Trocheck to the Utah Mammoth, was equally complimentary.
“I know Marcus’ game is incredible,” he said. “You look at this D core — it’s a solid D core. It’s a lot of great players. It’s an exciting D core. I think whatever they have planned for me, I think that’s what I’m willing to do. If I’m lucky enough to play with Marcus, then I think it’s an exciting pair.
“But at the end of the day, when you have a D corps where there’s so many good players pushing each other, that kind of moves the envelope.”
Durzi added that the two communicated since the trades.
“It’s funny — he was at a wedding with my agent, and we spoke on the phone a little bit,” the 27-year-old said. “Just the excitement of coming to New York and playing together and playing for such a great organization.”
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Pettersson does have one extra point of familiarity: He played under current Rangers coach Mike Sullivan for seven-plus seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. The 30-year-old defenseman is looking forward to the reunion.
“As a person, I feel like me and ‘Sully’ had a great relationship,” Pettersson shared. “He’s a straightforward kind of guy. You’re never really wondering what you should do or where you’re at or stuff like that … I love that about him. And system-wise, I feel like it tends to play into my playing style.
“I want to play a fast-paced style, like he wants to play, and pressure on puck. I feel like his system is so good, where you don’t have to overthink things out there. You’re playing off your instincts, and your instincts are what brought you to where you are.”
Rangers leaders reach out to newcomers Durzi, Pettersson
Though Pettersson had “nothing but great things to say about Vancouver,” he was quite willing to waive the no-movement clause in his contract to come to the Big Apple.
“Obviously, the Rangers being an Original Six, growing up idolizing that team and stuff like that. It all happened very quickly, to be honest with you,” he said. “But when I got the opportunity to come here, and with the history with some of the coaching staff that I have there, it was a great opportunity. I’m super excited.”
Pettersson said he has had “some great conversations” with fellow Swede Mika Zibanejad since the trade, and also mentioned that Rangers captain J.T. Miller reached out to him.
“Some of my teammates in Vancouver talked about J.T. and how great of a person he is,” Pettersson said of Miller, who played with the Canucks before coming to the Rangers on Jan. 31, 2025. “They reached out and said, ‘You’re gonna love him and his family and stuff like that, and the competitiveness that (he) brings.”
Ironically, the first-round pick the Rangers traded to the Canucks as part of the Miller deal was immediately used by the Canucks to acquire Pettersson from the Penguins. And now, here Pettersson is with Miller and the Rangers.
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Durzi said he likes the idea of playing with Pettersson.
“I know Marcus’ game is incredible,” he said. “I’ve played against him a lot. If I’m lucky enough to play with Marcus, then I think it’s an exciting pair. If not, then wherever I fit in this lineup, I know that the [defense] corps is going to carry a lot of the load. There’s a lot of really good defensemen that are going to push each other every single day.”
Durzi is the more offensive-minded defenseman, and is a right shot, to fit in behind Fox on the depth chart. Pettersson, a lefty, slots in behind Gavrikov and, though known for his defensive play, is adept at moving the puck quickly and efficiently out of his own end, something that was a big issue for the Rangers in recent seasons.
So, that makes a potential partnership on the second defense pairing for the newcomers a logical one for the Rangers. It also creates more depth on the blue line, where righty Braden Schneider mans the third pair, and 18-year-old rookie Alberts Smits is among several players heading to camp with a chyance to win a spot on the Opening Night roster.
Let’s see if the good offseason vibes with the Rangers defense corps turn into good results when the regular season opens in Boston on Sept. 29.
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