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With P.K. Subban joining an organization that already featured Damon Severson, Sami Vatanen, Ty Smith (LHD but played mostly RD in junior last season), and Reilly Walsh, the New Jersey Devils are swimming in depth on the right side.
This has led to speculation one of them could be had. Even if that's the case – and I have my doubts – it won't be Severson on the move.
This from Elliotte Friedman's 31 Thoughts:
11. Last summer, Damon Severson was everywhere in trade rumours. Not anymore. When Subban was dealt there, a couple clubs wondered if another righty made Severson expendable. With four more years at a cost-effective $4.2 million, that’s a no.
I think this is the right outlook. Severson is the 2nd best defenseman on the team. He is 24-years-old. He is under contract longer than any player on the roster at a very affordable $4.16 million per – a number that continues to look even better as salaries rise league-wide. There is absolutely no reason to trade him.
Severson is not a perfect player. I won't pretend otherwise. But he's mobile, he can move the puck, he has a heavy shot, his in-zone defense slowly continues to improve, and he's productive.
Severson scored 20 goals, 17 of which came at 5v5 (tied with John Carlson and Mark Giordano for 7th most), over the last two seasons. He just finished 2nd on the Devils in assists and put up a career-high 39 points in a year the team would still struggle scoring on a soccer net. The guy is good.
With Subban in the mix, I think he can be even better.
Simply put, Severson's workload will get softer. Only nine defenders spent more time facing elite competition than Severson last season, according to PuckIQ.
With more ice against the middle-tier, and a much better supporting cast up front, one would think Severson is capable of even more moving forward.
Keeping him around, and reaping the rewards, seems like the smart thing to do.
numbers via NaturalStatTrick.com and PuckIQ.com
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