Rangers' new defensemen Marcus Pettersson, Sean Durzi already building chemistry after trades

Marcus Pettersson and Sean Durzi got a head start on building a relationship by talking over the phone last week. Pettersson was in Prague attending former teammate Filip Hronek's wedding, where he connected with Durzi’s agent, Allan Walsh.

Walsh also represents Hronek, so when he saw Pettersson at the wedding, he made sure to speak highly of Durzi. From there, the pair of defensemen briefly connected over the phone, discussing their excitement in each joining the Rangers and playing with each other after separate trades brought them to New York earlier this month.

Come the start of hockey season, that conversation could potentially be the start of forming a key relationship between Pettersson and Durzi. Though nothing is set in stone, the duo will likely play together in the second pairing with Pettersson as the left defenseman and Durzi on the right side. Pettersson and Durzi separately spoke with the media Thursday for the first time since their trades.

“It was nice to get a little bit of a head start on that and being able to exchange a few words with each other,” Pettersson said of his phone call with Durzi.

Their additions are part of an offseason retooling for the Rangers, who have missed the playoffs each of the last two seasons.

General manager Chris Drury’s biggest move was trading center Vincent Trocheck after nearly five months on the trading block, which netted Durzi, prospect Cole Beaudoin and a third-round pick in 2027 from the Utah Mammoth. Durzi, who is 6-1, 196 pounds and 27 years old, notched five goals and 22 assists in 60 games for Utah last season.

Meanwhile, Drury traded a top-10 protected first-round pick in 2030 to the Vancouver Canucks for Pettersson. The trade reunites Pettersson with coach Mike Sullivan, who coached him for parts of seven seasons in Pittsburgh before Pettersson was traded to Vancouver, where he spent the last two seasons.

Pettersson said he and Sullivan have a “great relationship” and the coach’s fast-paced system aligns with his playing style. The 30-year-old is 6-5, 174 pounds, and is a defense-first defenseman who played all 82 games, notching three goals and 15 assists in 2025-26.

With the Rangers trading Will Borgen to Boston, Durzi will likely slot in behind Adam Fox on the right side while Pettersson will follow Vladislav Gavrikov on the left.

“Marcus and Sean could be a good pair together,” Drury told reporters on July 2.

While the defenseman are unsure whether they’ll play together, they both spoke highly of one another. Pettersson mentioned he spoke with former Penguins teammate John Marino — Durzi's teammate the last two seasons in Utah — who spoke highly of Durzi’s game and character.

Additionally, Pettersson touted Durzi’s skating ability, ability to push the puck and the edge he plays with. Durzi spoke similarly about Pettersson, and the Rangers’ defense as a whole.

“I know Marcus' game is incredible,” Durzi 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.”

After helping Utah reach the playoffs last season, Durzi explained he was surprised by the trade but noted hockey is a business.

On the other hand, Pettersson leaves a Canucks team that failed to make the playoffs both of his seasons with them and waived a no-movement clause to facilitate the trade to New York. He said the trade happened quickly, and waived his NMC because he grew up idolizing the Rangers as an Original Six team.

After their respective trades, Pettersson and Durzi each expressed optimism that the Rangers will snap their two-year playoff drought.

Pettersson said the expectations and vibes are high, also citing that he knows what the city can be like after watching the Knicks win their third NBA title. Durzi added the Rangers have a good mix between veteran and young talent, making it an exciting group to be a part of.

In the end, their goal is simple.

“It’s win a Stanley Cup,” Durzi said. “That's why we show up every day.”