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On Severson, Moore, Butcher, and moving the puck |
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1) An underrated aspect of the Damon Severson contract extension that I haven't yet touched on: he is locked up for the entirety of his prime.
At 23, Severson should theoretically be heading into the best few years of his career and when his contract expires he'll likely start to (slowly) go in the other direction. He'll still be a good player, no doubt, but the peak will have come and gone.
As it stands, I think most would agree Severson is a fringe top pairing guy. You're okay with him playing big minutes, especially if he has a quality partner, but in an ideal world would prefer him settling into a No. 3 role. That's how he's being paid (71 defensemen will carry a higher cap hit in 2017-18). If he hits another gear, the Devils will be getting a bargain. If he mostly treads water and remains where he's at over the course of six years, the Devils will still get what they're paying for. I really don't see any risk in this contract and there's potential for a big reward.
2) The Devils could definitely use another established defenseman but they should be at least a little better at getting the puck moving in the right direction this season.
If Will Butcher can make the team and hold his own in a depth role, and there's reason to believe he can, the Devils will likely have at least one capable offensive defenseman on the ice at all times.
Severson is the best of the bunch and will no doubt be given all the minutes he can handle. John Moore certainly has his faults without the puck but he's probably the best defenseman on the roster in terms of picking it up and skating it the length of the ice. Butcher isn't flashy but his best attributes are passing the puck and making the right decisions in terms of where to go with it.
These aren't sexy names but, assuming they're split up, as expected, the Devils will be at least somewhat equipped to get the puck out of their zone and make something happen at the other end of the ice.
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