78 Days Until Opening Night At Nationwide Arena
When rumors started swirling about the CBJ being in on soon-to-be UFA defenseman Damon Severson, many people were conflicted.
On one hand, having another veteran defenseman is always good. But on the other, fans of the Jackets wondered why they would go out and get another vet when they had youngsters like David Jiříček, Adam Boqvist, Andrew Peeke, and Jake Bean who needed to get some minutes. Just a few days prior, Columbus also traded for left-shot defenseman Ivan Provorov. Things were getting muddy.
Rumors that yet-to-be-officially-hired Mike Babcock required more veteran defensemen have since been unearthed, with many saying that these three moves were the "beginning of the end" for former GM Jarmo Kekäläinen.
What's done is done. Damon Severson was a Columbus Blue Jacket.
Severson played 67 games in his first season with Columbus. He had an injury that kept him out from November 19th to December 23rd, as he would leave in a game against the Flyers on November 19th after suffering an oblique injury.
Before his injury, Severson recorded 8 points in 19 games, including two multi-point games, and was a +1. He finished the season with 20 points in his final 48 games.
For the season he would score 9 goals and total 28 points. He had five multi-point games and was a -10. He also had pointless streaks of 8, 6, and 5 games. During his 8-game pointless streak, he was a -1 and had 11 shots.
Overall this past season for Severson would be considered middle of the road for his career. In terms of goals scored, his 9 goals were tied for the second-highest in his career. His 19 assists were the 7th highest, and his 28 points were good enough for the 6th highest.
Other Stats And Where They Rank
- Takeaways - 36 - second-highest
- Giveaways - 33 - lowest of his career
- Defensive Zone Giveaways - 27 - Tied for third lowest of his career
- Points Per 60 Minutes - 1.19 - Fourth highest of his career
- Shooting % - 10.2% - Highest of his career
- Shots On Goal - 88 - Lowest of his career
- On Ice Goal Differential - Minus 14 - Fifth lowest
Last year was not a good season for the Columbus Blue Jackets, but with a new coach and new management, they hope to turn it around. For Damon Severson, he has a chance to be a key part of the defense. Statistically, he didn't have a bad season, but it wasn't his best either.
Severson has 7 years left on his deal at $6,250,000.
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