Damon Severson

Severson was a forgotten man in fantasy drafts last year as Dougie Hamilton was signed by the Devils to take over as their No. 1 defenseman and power-play quarterback. That didn't really work out and it was Severson who ended up having the career year. His 46 points in 80 games were a new high-water mark, as was his 23:36 average time on ice and 16 points with the man advantage. As well as Severson played, he's a clear regression candidate in 2022-23. The Devils added both John Marino and Brendan Smith to their defense corps this offseason, and it's difficult to imagine the club isn't going to do whatever is necessary to get Hamilton going given the fact they're paying him $9 million a year. Severson needs to be drafted in all formats, but he's more of a late-round option than mid-round one.

Due to a lack of other suitable players, Severson has averaged more than 22 minutes of ice time per game in each of the past three seasons with the Devils. He's posted 30-plus points twice in that span, but he's also registered a hideous minus-55 rating. Severson can chip in some offense and run a power play in a pinch, but his defensive struggles limit his long-term upside. He figures to be the New Jersey defenseman most impacted by the club's decision to hand Dougie Hamilton a lucrative free agent contract this offseason. Both players are right-handed shots and Severson figures to be behind at least Hamilton, youngster Ty Smith and potentially veteran P.K. Subban in the quest for power-play time. Let someone else deal with the headache.

Severson had another solid season for the Devils in 2019-20, picking up eight goals, 31 points and 52 PIM while averaging a whopping 22:58 of ice time in 69 contests. The 26-year-old should be able to produce around 25 points, a third of which will come with the man advantage, while also putting up solid totals in the peripheral categories in 2020-21. He'll likely also post a sub-par plus-minus rating - he's registered an unsightly minus-47 rating in 151 games over the past two campaigns - but he'll make for a decent depth defenseman in fantasy leagues that don't count that category.

Severson is a puck-moving defender who has never quite mastered the defensive side of the game. He posted a career-high 39 points last season, but that production was accompanied by a minus-27 rating, which pushed his career mark to minus-87 in 361 career games. Two thirds of Severson's 39 points came at even strength, and he'll need to keep relying on even strength production for the vast majority of his points, as Will Butcher and the newly acquired P.K. Subban should see the majority of power-play time from the blue line. If you're undeterred by Severson's poor rating, he should give you a decent point total from the back end.

Severson has decent offensive ability from the blue line, but he's not productive enough to cover for his defensive-zone struggles. While he's topped 20 points in three consecutive campaigns after scoring 17 as a rookie, Severson also has an ugly career rating of minus-60, having never finished better than minus-8. Will Butcher's emergence has also relegated Severson to the second power-play unit, so last season's total of four points with the extra man is a more realistic expectation than his 2016-17 power-play output of 13 points. It's possible Severson takes a step forward on one or both ends of the ice, but he's more likely to remain a mixed bag with major rating downside.

Severson has the most fantasy appeal on New Jersey’s blue line, but that’s not saying much. The 23-year-old defenseman was a disaster in his own zone last year, finishing with a minus-31 rating that was worst in the league among non-Avalanche players. His strong vision on the power play led to 13 assists with the extra man last season, but he still hasn't scored a power-play goal in 203 career games while accruing a minus-52 rating over that span. While it’s possible that the 2012 second-rounder will make a leap in his fourth NHL season, the more likely scenario involves him teasing owners with a solid assist total while hemorrhaging goals on the other end.

Severson managed 21 points while seeing just over 18 minutes of ice time per game in 72 appearances last season, but the soon-to-be 22-year-old will likely be asked to fill a larger role with fellow youngster Adam Larsson having been shipped out to Edmonton in the Taylor Hall trade. The 2012 second-rounder managed five power-play points a year ago, and landing a more prominent place on the man advantage would be key to further enhancing his resume. As it stands, his youth and upside still make Severson the most appealing option on an underwhelming Devils blue line.

Severson made his NHL debut in 2014-15, appearing in 51 games for the Devils. The 21-year-old blueliner averaged 21:57 of ice time, scoring five times and adding 12 assists, with seven of those points coming on the power play. Defensemen typically take a longer to make a notable offensive impact, so Severson's early contributions would seem to bode well for his future production. With the departure of Marek Zidlicky, look for Severson to take on an even larger role with the Devils in 2015-16, forming a potentially dynamic puck-moving combination from the back end with 22-year-old Adam Larsson. Though it likely won't materialize this season, Severson has all the tools to be a 40-point guy or better at his peak.

Severson is one of several young blueliners in the organization. Selected in the second round of the 2012 NHL Entry Draft, Severson is coming off an excellent campaign with the WHL’s Kelowna Rockets, for whom he tallied 15 goals and 46 assists over 64 games. The 20-year-old probably won’t push for a duty with the Devils until later this season at the earliest, but he could become a fixture on the blue line at some point during the 2015-16 campaign.

Severson is one of several defensive prospects with a chance at cracking the team's NHL roster this fall. He's been touted as a potential steal of the 2012 draft and notched 52 points for Kelowna of the WHL last season along with 10 points in 11 playoff contests with the Rockets. Severson has an offensive edge to his game and it remains to be seen how he'll adapt to New Jersey's defensive system, but he is definitely worth remembering in keeper leagues either for this season or the next one.

Recently turning 18, Severson is a defensemen with some offensive ability who put up 37 points in 56 WHL contests with Kelowna last year. He's worth keeping an eye on, but is a few years away from seeing NHL ice.