Blue Jackets to acquire Damon Severson in sign-and-trade

2023-24: $6M salary, $2M signing bonus, full no-trade clause

2024-25: $6M salary, $2M signing bonus, full no-trade clause

2025-26: $5.5MM salary, $2MM signing bonus, full no-trade clause

2026-27: $4.1M salary, $2M signing bonus, full no-trade clause

2027-28: $3.3M salary, $1.8M signing bonus, 20-team trade list

2028-29: $4.1M salary, $1M signing bonus, 12-team trade list

2029-30: $5.1M salary, 12-team trade list

2030-31: $5.1M salary, 12-team trade list

This is the second true sign-and-trade in NHL history. The Florida Panthers and Calgary Flames became the first to do it with last year’s Matthew Tkachuk blockbuster.

It’s also the Columbus Blue Jackets’ second major move on defense in the span of three days. After an injury-riddled season that saw Columbus boast the weakest ’D’ corps in the league on some nights, the team has now added a pair of top-four caliber players in Severson and Ivan Provorov to compliment youngsters like Adam Boqvist, Nick Blankenburg, David Jiricek and Andrew Peeke.

Severson, 28, was the longest-tenured member of the Devils, drafted just weeks after their run to the Stanley Cup Final – and last playoff series win before this year – in 2012. The veteran of nearly 650 NHL games has always been a capable point producer, recording a pair of 11-goal seasons and multiple 30-point campaigns, but has also put up some strong defensive metrics, especially this season.

This season, his Corsi For percentage at even strength was 56.5%, although it came with a small reduction in his role from over 23 minutes per game in 2021-22 to just under 20 minutes in 2022-23. While he may not have the upside of his fellow new teammates, Provorov, he’s got a much more solidified track record of two-way success and can play anywhere incoming head coach Mike Babcock chooses.

To put it simply – Severson is a capable, well-rounded, minute-munching defender who plays the right side. While the last few years of the contract carry some significant risk, given he’ll be in his mid-30s, $6.25M is a very fair price to pay for his services right now.

The move takes one of the top pending UFAs off the market, and along with Vladislav Gavrikov’s extension in Los Angeles this week, the market for defenders on July 1 is looking a lot thinner. Dmitry Orlov, Erik Gustafsson, Shayne Gostisbehere, John Klingberg and Matt Dumba now make up the remainder of the top UFAs available at the position.

One thing is abundantly clear – Columbus isn’t willing to wait any longer for a return to postseason play. With the Severson extension in play, the team should have a little under $6M in cap space remaining this offseason, per CapFriendly, assuming a $1M increase is finalized. That will undoubtedly go to upgrading their group of forwards.

New Jersey Hockey Now’s James Nichols reported earlier in the week that Columbus had an interest in Severson.