On Damon Severson
Shots on goal isn't a category many pay attention to, but a high shot total usually leads to a high point total, and generating a lot of shots, especially as a young player, is generally a very positive sign.
While Severson's rookie campaign was halted due to a foot injury, he was putting up some pretty remarkable numbers prior.
Since 2000, only six rookie defensemen (maximum age 22) have averaged more than two shots per game. Prior to the injury Severson was averaging 2.31, which is 2nd on that list only behind Dion Phaneuf, who scored 20 goals and racked up 49 points averaging 2.95 shots per game as a rookie.
Among the others who averaged more than two shots: Aaron Ekblad (2.16), Dennis Wideman (2.24), Stefan Elliott (2.15) and Dennis Seidenberg (2.12).
Of that group, Elliott is the only one who never established himself as a legitimate top-4 defenseman at some point in his career. He's still only 23, too, so the possibility remains.
If I drop the prerequisite to 1.6 shots per game under the same standards, the likes of Shea Weber, Duncan Keith, Brent Seabrook, Erik Karlsson, Jacob Trouba and Dustin Byfuglien, among a bunch of other very good defensemen, crack the list of 21 guys who have done it. Once again, Elliott is the only player who doesn't have at least a few very good seasons to his name.
It'll be interesting to see if Severson's numbers drop when he returns from injury, but either way it's unlikely he'll drop below two shots per game, and even if he did he'd still be in elite company.
20 of 21 (assuming Ekblad and Severson continue to play well) rookie defenseman who averaged > 1.6 shots per game since 2000 have went on to have very good careers, so there's certainly reason to be optimistic about Severson going forward.
Prospect Updates - Ryan Kujawinski had an assist in a 6-0 North Bay win over Sudbury. He seems to be fitting in well with the Battalion having recorded eight points in nine games thus far. He has 31 points in 36 games on the year.
- Recently signed forward Joseph Blandisi scored in a 7-4 Barrie loss to Josh Ho-Sang and the Niagara Ice Dogs. Blandisi has 32 goals and 74 points in 45 games on the year, which is good for 4th in OHL scoring. Only Mitch Marner, Dylan Strome and Christian Dvorak (Coyotes) are ahead of him.
- John Quenneville recorded an assist in an 8-3 Brandon win on Saturday night. He is averaging .85 points per game (34P in 40GP), which is down from .95 last year. It's worth noting he's not being relied on as heavily as last year because Brandon is an elite team, but you don't like to see a 1st round pick decline in production as he gets older and should be putting up more points. His upside is a middle-6 center.
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