When the Columbus Blue Jackets acquired Damon Severson in the summer of 2023 via sign‑and‑trade with New Jersey, the expectation was clear: he would be a stabilizing, top‑four right‑shot defenseman capable of logging heavy minutes, moving the puck efficiently, and providing a steady veteran presence for a young blue line.
Two seasons later, the results have been mixed. Severson has shown flashes of the poised, two‑way defender who once logged 23‑plus minutes a night for the Devils, but those stretches have too often been followed by bouts of inconsistency — whether in defensive reads, puck management, or sustaining offensive zone pressure
Now, entering his age‑31 season and the third year of an eight‑year, $50 million contract, the urgency is real. The Blue Jackets’ defensive depth chart is deeper than it was when he arrived. With Dean Evason’s system demanding quick transitions and disciplined gap control, Severson will need to deliver more of his “A” game on a nightly basis to justify his role, ice time, and what has become his albatross of a contract.
Severson’s 2024‑25 campaign was a microcosm of his Columbus tenure so far: stretches of strong play — including a 10‑game run in December where he posted eight points and a +6 rating — offset by costly turnovers and lapses in coverage that tilted momentum the other way.
He finished last season with five goals and 24 points in 70 games, averaging 19:03 of ice time. His underlying metrics told a similar story: respectable controlled exit rates and offensive zone entries, but a negative expected goals differential at five‑on‑five.
His inconsistent play earned him many healthy scratches to end the year, certainly not something you want from a player who is signed as the third-highest-paid defenseman until 2031. His role is also less clear now than it was when he was brought in: he's likely to start the year as the sixth or seventh defenseman with the top four solidified between Zach Werenski, Dante Fabbro & Denton Mateychuk, and Ivan Provorov.
Columbus is aiming to push back into the playoff conversation, and in a Metropolitan Division loaded with forechecking pressure and transition‑driven offenses, a defenseman who swings between elite and error‑prone can be the difference between holding a lead and chasing a game.
Severson’s contract ensures he’ll be here for the long haul, but the coaching staff’s trust is earned in the short term. A more consistent version of Severson — one who limits turnovers, wins more net‑front battles, and sustains offensive zone time — could be a quiet catalyst for the Jackets’ success.
On a more personal level, something that is sorely lacking from Severson is a visible presence in the community. For a guy that has had trouble contributing on the ice, it's been disappointing, to say the least, that we have seen shockingly little from "Sevs" in Columbus since his arrival, and it's frankly a bit disheartening. You'd want to see more veteran leadership from one of the players on the roster over the age of 30, but that hasn't materialized.
One bold prediction: Severson ends up in trade discussions with the CBJ dangling retaining 50% of his salary through 2031
Sadly, I don't see a positive outcome incoming for Severson. His results over the past two seasons have been wildly disappointing and with the D-Core more set up now in the top 4 than it has been since he arrived, I'm not sure I see a situation where Severson locks down the third pairing right shot role without poor play by Erik Gudbranson or a remarkable turnaround.