This is the fifth profile on prospects expected to play for the Binghamton Senators.
David Dziurzynski, C/LW, Contract: 0.6/13 (RFA)
FA 2010 (Murray), 6’3, Shoots L, YOB 1989, Lloydminster, AB
2008-09 AJHL 54-12-25-37 185pim (5 fights)
2009-10 BCHL 57-21-53-74 79pim (5 fights)
2010-11 AHL 75-6-14-20 57pim (3 fights)
On April 4th, 2010, Bryan Murray signed BCHL free agent David Dziurzynski. Originally intending to play in the NCAA, his agent advised him to turn pro and Dziurzynski choose the Sens’ bonus-laden contract over other offers (he receives a $50,000 signing bonus each year of the deal). Prior to the 2009-10 season, Dziurzynski was a physical forward in the AJHL who wasn’t on anybody’s radar, but he enjoyed a breakout season that demonstrated his skill with Alberni Valley.
The Silver Seven posted comments about Dziurzynski: “He [an agent] says David Dziurzynski is huge, strong and very slick. He says he has very soft hands and can skate like the wind. He was on the top line (league wide) with 2 brothers (one of whom was a 4th round pick of Montreal…Mark Macmillan [the other was Mitch Macmillan, now playing in the NCAA]). Turns out David was the reason that line was so dominant. Lots of 2nd assists and even more ‘3rd‘ assists. My agent said in the playoffs, when the team was losing, the kid “decided” to stop making his linemates look so good and took over. Look up his playoff stats….pretty impressive. The kid has a grade 9 education, and was heading up to Fort MacMurray to work the oil rigs (and disappear from the hockey scene) but after such a strong season, was hustled by Edmonton, Ottawa, NYR and another team (forgot the 4th…sorry). My agent has seen plenty of talented kids move from the WHL/BCHL to the NHL and, to quote ‘this kid could very well stun some people'” (www.silversevensens.com/2010/7/14/1568683/some-info-on-david-dziurzynski).
Dziurzynski himself, commenting on the signing and his breakout season, said “It’s the best fit for me to develop. They have a great program and their focus on development was one of the main attractions. It [Alberni] was a great experience. The league is unbelievable. It changed my life. I had a couple good linemates that I played with — it was the best line in the BCHL.” His coach, Nolan Graham, added “When we start talking about David, Mark and Mitch were great for him. David’s a big guy and he’s strong on the puck, but I think what he brings is a great hockey sense and we all saw that in the playoffs. In Game 5 against Nanaimo, he assisted on a big-time goal and I don’t know if anyone in the building saw Mark MacMillan open on the backdoor. He really made that line click and was huge for us offensively” (www.bchl.bc.ca/leagues/ newsletter.cfm?clientID=1413&leagueID= 2393&page=43942&stype=2).
Despite the jump in level to the AHL, Dziurzynski had an easier transition than many of his fellow rookies (he essentially took Corey Cowick‘s spot on the roster). After being scratched the first three games of the season, he remained in the lineup (when healthy) the rest of the season. Primarily a depth player, he did show some skill (enjoying a hot streak in January where he posted 9 of his season’s 20 points). Dziurzynski played the first 12 games of Binghamton’s Calder Cup run, but was then scratched with the return of Cody Bass (he returned to the lineup for two games in the final as an injury replacement for Roman Wick). All in all it was a very successful rookie season for Dziurzynski, but not the kind to generate any hype.
There’s no question that Dziurzynski will return for another year in Binghamton. He’ll play in the bottom six, although whether he’ll stay on the wing or move to center remains to be seen. He’s unlikely to receive powerplay time, but he should see his production increase if he can stay healthy (25-30 points). Depending on his development curve, he will be challenging for a spot in the next year or two.
Dziurzynski scores twice in the BCHL: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hrcTPWG4nHY
A fantastic BCHL goal: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UDS8cNoowU
Fights Nick Buchanan: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROZRY5cQsRI
Next up is Craig Schira.
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