While the New Jersey Devils weren’t that busy signing unrestricted free agents this summer, that’s not to say they haven’t been making moves. If we start with the draft, they not only selected a player who could be impactful sooner rather than later in Simon Nemec, but they also acquired Vitek Vanacek from the Washington Capitals. They added a couple of UFAs in Brendan Smith and Ondrej Palat, while also acquiring John Marino from the Pittsburgh Penguins. It’s the first one and let’s move on in the series of them that I listed which brings us to today’s topic of discussion.
Bringing in Marino gives the Devils a right side of him, Dougie Hamilton and Damon Severson with Nemec waiting in the wings. While Marino is signed for five more seasons and Hamilton for six, Severson becomes UFA at the end of the upcoming 2022-23 season. With all three scheduled to start in the NHL this season on the right, the Devils have roughly $17.6 million committed to the salary cap for one side on defense. Fortunately, with some of the other trading contracts they have, cap issues are not on the horizon. The problem that could arise is that if Severson signs an extension putting his AAV between Marino’s and Hamilton’s, as other players at other positions seek raises, the Devils could run into cap trouble quickly.
So is this Damon Severson’s last season in New Jersey? Well, it may seem that way, but it’s certainly too early to tell. The team certainly values Severson, having him serve as backup captain and playing big minutes, with and without Hamilton in the lineup. I think there are three main factors that could determine whether or not Severson stays beyond 2022-23: contract demands, development and Nemec deployment.
In terms of contract demands, unless Severson seeks money from Hamilton, the Devils’ right side would still be cheaper than it was last year, when the Devils had Hamilton ($9 million), Severson ($4.167 million) and PK Subban. ($9). million) together. Severson turns 28 before the start of this season, which means that if he were asking for an eight-year deal, it would take him through his 36-year-old season, with him hitting unrestricted free agency again during the summer he would be serving. 37. Honestly for a defender who plays the way Severson does, I don’t think an eight-year tenure is too much of a concern. Also, if the Devils needed to move him in the last season or two, they could structure the contract to make it easier to do so. If the Sevs are looking for something that will generate an AAV of around $6-6.5 million, I think the Devils might consider it.
The reason why they may or may not lead us to the second factor, which is the development of Nemec. Now, I’m aware that one season isn’t a long time to assess Nemec’s play, but unfortunately that could be the situation the Devils find themselves in. Nemec has signed his entry level contract and the plan from now on is for him. to play in North America this season, either at the AHL or NHL level. The NHL road seems full as mentioned above, however, we have seen rookies (either on the Devils or other NHL teams) have such good training camps/preseasons that they work their way up the team. If Nemec doesn’t do this, the Devils have at least until the trade deadline to decide what to do with Severson. If Nemec works his way up the NHL roster, that brings us to the rollout factor that would also come up if Severson re-signs.
So let’s say Nemec is on the list this season; the Devils aren’t going to have him sitting as an extra D, nor are they going to put Hamilton, Severson or the newly acquired Marino there. In this situation, we would see one of our right-handed defenders move to the left side, and if this leads to two of the right-handers forming a successful pairing, perhaps the Devils will re-sign Severson to continue that success. The fact that Ryan Graves is also an unrestricted free agent after this season, combined with the left side beyond Graves and Jonas Siegenthaler currently relatively untested, could also lead to Severson being retained. However, if Lindy Ruff and the rest of the coaching staff take issue with the offside guys, this entire scenario becomes a moot point.
So if the stars align, or the Devils’ organizations feel they need to retain their defensive depth, he could see the team bring back Severson. However, at this point, I don’t think we’ll see the extension complete this summer. The Devils will most likely assess the situation as well as the team’s performance this season before making a decision. If injuries increase again, perhaps Severson will prove indispensable; At the same time, maybe injuries will put the Devils out of contention and Severson will be moved before the trade deadline. We know that moving the puck to the right has great value in the league, and perhaps a Severson trade will bring a return that sets the team up for better, sustainable, long-term success. You cut it anyway, although I think it was possible before Marino joined the Jersey team, I don’t think we’ll see a Severson extension this summer.
What are your thoughts on the Devils and Damon Severson; Do you want to see an extension? Would you prefer to see it moved as a rental at the change deadline? Do you think the factors I mentioned could be the ones that determine Severson’s fate? Should there be concern about the contract Damon will be looking at? Are you one of the fans who wants to see him moved no matter what, and if so, why? Please leave any and all comments below and thanks as always for reading!