In his last game with the New Jersey Devils, in the playoffs against the Carolina Hurricanes last month, right-handed defenseman Damon Severson played 16:16. The busiest defender in the group, John Marino, played twice that, 30:36.
Severson has been a mainstay during the Devils’ long desert run. But since the arrival of Dougie Hamilton in 2021, then that of Marino, a right-hander like Hamilton, the following season, he was relegated to the third pair.
Marino, a gift from the Pittsburgh Penguins and its deposed general manager Ron Hextall, since it cost only Ty Smith, still in the American League, was used systematically against the opposing top lines. Hamilton was employed on the first wave on the power play.
With the presence of Hamilton and Marino and the eventual promotion of young Simon Nemec, second overall pick in 2022 behind Juraj Slafkovsky, the Devils were going to let Severson test the unrestricted free agent market. His departure would also free up 4.1 million on the wage bill and give general manager Tom Fitzgerald additional leeway to retain young striker Timo Meier.
Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen gave Fitzgerald another gift by giving him a 2023 third-round pick to gain exclusive negotiating rights with Severson.
The discussions were not very long. At almost 29 years old, Severson is now richer with an eight-year contract for 50 million, or 6.25 million per season.
Severson will earn a salary comparable to that of Winnipeg Jets number one defenseman Josh Morrissey, 76 points in 78 games last season, Kris Letang, 41 points in just 61 games, Hampus Lindholm, the new Bruins mainstay with Charlie McAvoy, 53 points last year, Justin Faulk of the Blues, 50 points, and teammate Colossus Colton Parayko. None of these defenders play less than 22 minutes per game.
There are also overpaid players in this category: Travis Sanheim, Tyler Myers, Ryan Pulock, Jeff Petry and Nate Schmidt.
Kekalainen has therefore just added another regressing defender to his defensive top four. Ivan Provorov saw his usage time drop by almost two minutes this winter compared to previous seasons. He had 27 points last year, his lowest production since 2019 (he had amassed 26 three years ago, but out of 56 meetings).
While Severson cost a modest third-round pick, Kekalainen gave up the 2023 22nd overall pick and a 2024 second-round pick to Provorov. At least the Los Angeles Kings, the third club in the deal, are withholding 30% of Provorov’s $6.75 million annual salary for another two seasons.
The Blue Jackets have improved their team, you have to admit. Next year’s defensive top four should consist of Zach Werenski, one of the best left-handed defensemen of his generation, Provorov, Severson and Adam Boqvist, 22, eighth overall pick in 2018, obtained in the trade for Seth Jones .
The young David Jiricek, sixth overall pick in 2022, smoking in the American League last year, with 38 points in 55 games at just 19 years old, will undoubtedly fight Boqvist on the right side.
Columbus remains a fragile club. The first two centers, Boone Jenner and Jack Roslovic are not among the elite of the NHL. Unless we move young Kent Johnson, 20, fifth overall pick in 2021, 40 points in his first season last year, to his natural position.
Another young first could be added at center next year if the Jackets draft No. 3 Leo Carlsson in a few weeks. Carlsson is already playing in the professional ranks in Sweden.
Their number one goaltender, Elvis Merzlikins, is coming off a disastrous season, averaging 4.23 and save percentage of .876. But Kekalainen may have another surprise in store for us in this regard.
Perhaps the Blue Jackets will take advantage of the weakening of former powerhouses like the Penguins and Capitals in their section and squeeze into the playoffs. But there are still in the Metropolitan the Hurricanes, the Devils, the Rangers and the Islanders.
The Blue Jackets’ youth core is promising. But for now, Kekalainen remains an impulsive, rushed GM who has overpaid to boost his chances of success. Let’s see if we’ll be crying genius in a year.
Sixth overall pick in 2018, forward Filip Zadina still has a future in Detroit despite his rocky start to his career, writes Bob Duff of detroithockeynow.com.
Poor Zadina, now 23, played just 30 games last year due to injury and picked up seven points. He had his best season the previous year with 24 points in 74 games.
The Wings management nevertheless appreciates the resilience the young man has shown during his rehabilitation and his willingness to learn and improve.
“He got his head down and he worked,” coach Derek Lalonde said. It would be hard not to mention the effort he put into it. »
The Canadian is often criticized for having preferred Jesperi Kotkaniemi over Brady Tkachuk, given the latter’s success in Ottawa. But before this famous draft of 2018, a majority of CH fans rather dreamed of Zadina, with the third choice, after his season of 82 points, including 44 goals, in only 57 games with the Halifax Mooseheads…
1- Guillaume Lefrançois looks back on the role of Jacques Demers in winning the Stanley Cup 30 years ago, through his brother Michel and some of his closest collaborators.
2- The QMJHL loses few Quebecers to the NCAA, tells us Alexandre Pratt.
3- The Golden Knights were less than three minutes away from dealing a blow to the Panthers on Thursday night. But Matthew Tkachuk was still the hero and Florida just narrowed the gap to two games to one. Simon-Olivier Lorange’s analysis.
