Blue Jackets add defenseman Damon Severson from the Devils in sign-and-trade deal
The Blue Jackets aren’t wasting time retooling their roster.
Just under three weeks from the NHL draft in Nashville, the Blue Jackets acquired defenseman Damon Severson from the New Jersey Devils on Friday in a sign-and-trade agreement that gives him an 8-year contract with Columbus in exchange for a third-round draft pick, No. 80 overall in the 2023 draft.
The annual salary-cap charge is $6.25 million per season for an experienced right-handed defenseman who spent the first nine years of his NHL career with the Devils and rarely missed time. Severson, 28, was the longest-tenured member of New Jersey's roster, having been selected by the Devils in the second round of the 2012 NHL draft.
In his introductory press conference, Severson said the Blue Jackets made it clear in their pitch to him that he was a high-priority target.
"They wanted to be aggressive, and they have list of their of guys," Severson said. "Fortunately, I was on the top of their list, so they made that very clear. It makes you feel wanted, makes you feel good."
"We have been watching him all year," Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen said, "multiple members of our pro scouting staff including myself, watching him live, watching him on video, doing all the analytics of how he does on both ends of the ice, finding out about his character, what he is to the room, what kind of leader he is, what kind of person he is."
More: Columbus Blue Jackets add Philadelphia Flyers defenseman Ivan Provorov in three-way trade
Severson is the second defenseman Columbus has added in the past 72 hours.
The Blue Jackets also acquired Ivan Provorov, 26, in a three-way trade with the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. Columbus sent its second of two first-round picks in this year's draft (22nd overall) plus a conditional second-round pick in 2024 or 2025 to the Flyers in that deal.
That's three draft picks in exchange for two veteran NHL defensemen who each have good size, play a two-way game and can be physical. Kekalainen told the Dispatch after the Provorov deal that he wasn't done bolstering the blue line. He planned to add another one through trade or free agency and did a little of both to get Severson.
"Provorov and myself will be coming into a new organization and really try to solidify ourselves as top defensemen and try to help this team take the next step they need to," Severson said.
The Devils planned to let Severson walk July 1 as an unrestricted free agent, so the Blue Jackets orchestrated a deal to add a significant UFA target before the market opens. Along with a large number of young defensemen and prospects, the Columbus blue line suddenly looks formidable for years to come.
They still have top prospects David Jiricek, Denton Mateychuk and Stanislav Svozil at various stages of development plus young NHL defensemen in Adam Boqvist, Nick Blankenburg, Jake Bean, Andrew Peeke, Tim Berni and Jake Christiansen.
Erik Gudbranson, a solid third-pairing veteran, has three years left on the four-year deal he signed last summer and Werenski remains an offensive force with a developing two-way game. The Blue Jackets have also reportedly reached agreement with veteran Mike Babcock to become the 11th coach in franchise history after his contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs expires on June 30.
More: Columbus Blue Jackets and Mike Babcock: 3 things to know about the likely CBJ coach
The defensive depth Babcock will get upon arrival looks a lot different than what Brad Larsen was given the past two years, which played a significant role in the Blue Jackets missing the playoffs both seasons. A spate of injuries this year also contributed to Columbus finishing 31st in the league and landing the third pick in the draft.
Aside from size (6-2, 205) and strength, Severson's right-handed shot makes him a key addition.
He'll either step right into the Blue Jackets' top defense pairing to play with Werenski, providing a stable defensive presence that should allow his partner to seek out scoring chances, or he'll skate with Provorov, a left shot, on the second pairing. In 647 games for the Devils, Severson tallied 58 goals, 205 assists, 263 points and 388 penalty minutes. He also averaged 21:11 in ice time, contributed 12-63-75 on power plays and scored seven game-winning goals.
Those are numbers that fit for either of the top two pairings.
Either way, the Blue Jackets' defense pairings look much stronger and more dependable. That could help goalie Elvis Merzlikins rebound from his worst season since coming to the NHL in 2019-20, when he flourished as a rookie while playing behind an experienced group of defensemen.
From the outside looking in, Severson called the Blue Jackets "one of the hardest working teams" he had played against in New Jersey, saying players were "all over you" from the puck drop.
"You see some of these teams that have been successful in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this year, and they play the same way," Severson said. "We get that working in the right way and you get some of the skill, letting that take over when there are chances to do that, it’s tough to play against. I think they have a good mix of talent and skill up front and now if we can get some of the defensemen, if we can get the puck up to them and join that rush and help them, it could help a lot."
Werenski and Severson could form the top pair, Boqvist could skate with Provorov on the second pair and the third could have Gudbranson on the right with one of the youngsters on the left: Jiricek, Peeke, Blankenburg, Bean, Berni, Christiansen, Svozil, Mateychuk or even Corson Ceulemans.
Realistically, the Cleveland Monsters' defensive core will be loaded with the likes of Berni, Svozil, Ceulemans, Christiansen, Samuel Knazko and possibly even Jiricek next season. In Columbus, the blue line would be stacked with Werenski, Severson, Provorov, Gudbranson, Boqvist, Blankenburg, Bean and Peeke all battling it out for roles and ice time.
Additional trades to address that backlog could be made in the next couple of weeks or during the draft to recoup draft picks.
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This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets trade for Devils defenseman Damon Severson
