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On Damon Severson
Damon Severson contract negotiations are underway and, as I see it, there are two realistic ways things could play out:
1) he signs a two-year bridge deal worth ~$2.6-2.8 million per season.
2) he signs a six-year deal worth ~$4 million per season (similar to what the Devils did with Adam Larsson and Adam Henrique a few years ago).
You could make a case for either option but, personally, I think a longer-term deal would be the way to go.
Severson is not a perfect player, but he's better than a lot of people give him credit for.
As a 22-year-old on a bad, low-scoring team, Severson put up 31 points, was a more efficient producer at 5v5 than notables like Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Keith Yandle, Cam Fowler, Justin Faulk and Shea Weber, among others, and made a positive impact in possession.
Severson was also one of 25 right-handed defensemen in the entire NHL to put up 30+ points and play 1,500+ minutes. None of the 25 players to do so were younger (Severson, Matt Dumba, Seth Jones, and Rasmus Ristolainen are all 22) so Severson was not only one of a select few to meet the criteria, but the youngest as well.
You could argue Severson is already worth the $4 million and his best days are still ahead of him. The Devils have an abundance of cap space so they may as well just lock him up now rather than allowing the asking price to rise as he continues to develop and posts better numbers with an improved supporting cast around him.
Taylor Hall hints the Devils aren't done
Hall recently did an interview with NHL.com and talked about a wide array of topics.
When discussing his excitement about the additions of Marcus Johansson, Nico Hischier, and Brian Boyle, Hall hinted there are still moves to come.
The Devils have been active during the offseason. They signed unrestricted free agent center Brian Boyle on July 1 and acquired Marcus Johansson, a skilled offensive forward, in a trade from the Washington Capitals on July 2. The moves have left Hall eager for training camp to begin in September.
"We've got some good pieces," he said. "I don't think the team is done by any means. I think there still might be a couple things they're looking to do.
One could only assume the "couple things" would be related to the Devils' defense core, which could certainly use a boost.
Now, I doubt Ray Shero has Hall on speed dial and is keeping him up to date with the team's plans, but I also doubt Hall would suggest the Devils aren't done if he didn't have a reason to believe it.
Given the Devils' need for defense, all the money they have available to them -- no team has more cap space -- and the amount of time remaining in the off-season, it certainly wouldn't be a surprise if Hall's comments turn out to be true.
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