New Jersey Devils defensemen Damon Severson and Ryan Graves prepare to be pending unrestricted free agents.
New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has plenty of decisions to make now that the 2022-23 season is in the rearview mirror. There is a lot of interest in what the team's defensive core will look like for the 2023-24 season. Some suspect former second-overall pick Simon Nemec will make his NHL debut, while the expectation is that Luke Hughes will be a full-time NHLer.
With so much young talent in the Devils organization, that leaves question marks surrounding two of the team's veteran defensemen, Ryan Graves and Damon Severson. Both blueliners discussed their pending free-agent status during their respective end-of-season media availabilities.
Ryan Graves
6' 5" | 220 lb | 27-years-old
Graves came to New Jersey via trade from the Colorado Avalanche on July 15, 2021.
"Ryan brings physicality, size, an ability to defend in tough situations, and a fearless compete level that makes him tough to play against," Fitzgerald said at the time of the trade. "His assertive style of play and ability to play with young defensemen are characteristics that fit into what we are building with our group."
The Yarmouth native has since appeared in 153 career games for New Jersey and collected 54 points (14 goals, 40 assists). Graves was an instrumental piece in Fitzgerald's overhaul of his blue line. The Devils traded for him less than a week after they signed Jonas Siegenthaler to a two-year extension and 13 days before Dougie Hamilton signed his seven-year deal with the organization.
After two seasons with the club, Graves is set to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. With 19-year-old Luke Hughes ready to transition to a full-time NHLer and Nemec looking to earn a roster spot out of training camp, the blue line in New Jersey is beginning to get crowded.
"You never know," Graves said of his pending free agency. "I loved my time here. It was great. This team's going to be good. I mean, you never know what free agency is going to bring. There's a business side of things, and I understand that."
Damon Severson
6' 2" | 205 lb | 28-years-old
Unlike Graves, Severson is a homegrown Devil. He was drafted by New Jersey in 2012 and has played all of his 647 career games in a Devils' uniform. When he spoke about his pending free agency during his end-of-season media availability, he said, "It's just a really weird time. That's the only way I can put it."
Severson saw his role change this season. For the past several seasons, he was heavily relied upon and led his team in time on ice. This past season he had the fourth-highest ice time behind Hamilton, Marino, and Siegenthaler. For most of this season, he was part of the team's third defensive pair and had a rotation of partners, including Brendan Smith, Kevin Bahl, and Siegenthaler.
During his last interview of the 2022-23 season, Severson was asked what it would mean to remain in New Jersey to continue his career.
"It'd be great. This is all I've known, so it's kind of a weird situation for me."
"When I pull up to the rink every day and drive the same route every day for so long, it just makes you appreciate it," he said. "You never know when the last time will be, so you just look forward to each day coming in and doing your job and go from there."
For the first time in his career, the Melville native is part of a blue line with immense depth and young star players ready to take the next steps and prove they belong in the NHL. For what lies ahead, Severson said he has his agent in place to handle the contractual stuff whenever it comes about.
Including Graves and Severson, the Devils have five unrestricted free agents and eight restricted free agents. Per CapFriendly, New Jersey enters the offseason with five picks in the 2023 NHL Entry Draft and $34,282,500 in cap space.
"We're just starting our pro and amateur meetings, (and) going through what our roster may look like (next season)," Fitzgerald said during his exit interview. "What players could possibly be back, what players possibly won't be back, and what players may outprice us because of where we're at cap-wise. What does one player want that leaves the crumbs on the table for somebody else? We're going through that."