The Blue Jackets have high expectations this year and are looking for many players to have positive progression to help boost this team into the 2026 NHL postseason.
Young stars like Adam Fantilli, Denton Mateychuk, and Jet Greaves are all looking to play their part in the team's success this year. However, the player who has surprised Blue Jackets fans the most so far this year has been none other than 31-year-old defenseman Damon Severson.
Severson hasn't exactly been a fan favorite after he was acquired from the Devils in exchange for a third-round draft pick and signed to a massive 8-year, $50 million contract in 2023.
In his first season wearing Union Blue, Severson tallied a respectable 9 goals and 28 points in 67 games with a -10 rating. He had the third highest average ice time for Columbus, averaging just over 21 minutes a game.
Although his offensive production looked good, Severson's defensive struggles earned him some displeasure from the 5th line. But with the entire team not exactly excelling, he wasn't bad enough to stand out among the struggling blueliners.
However, Severson's flaws unfortunately fell into the spotlight last year, as an offensive regression combined with costly mistakes and a lack of improvement on defense caused him to fall out of favor of head coach Dean Evason, to the point where he eventually became a healthy scratch.
His ice time was reduced over two full minutes, and by the end of the year he was seen as a negative asset with an anchor of a contract.
After an offseason full of fans wondering if Severson would even have a secure role with the team, he has immediately proven the doubters wrong so far this year.
Before we start acting like he is going to take over Zach Werenski's role on the team, it's important to remember that we are only 8 games into the season and Severson still has plenty more solid hockey to play before he erases his past struggles.
Damon Severson is stepping up this year
With that being said, Damon Severson has been arguably the Blue Jackets' best defenseman so far, and statistically one of their best players. He already has a goal and two assists this season with a cool +6 rating and no penalties. Without even diving into the advanced metrics of his game, these numbers are pretty solid for a guy whose best years are supposed to be behind him.
According to MoneyPuck, Severson has the highest Corsi For % of a defenseman on the team at 57%. This measures the percentage of shot attempts on the ice that are taken by the Blue Jackets while he is playing.
Additionally, he has created the most "high danger" scoring chances of any Blue Jackets defenseman, with 7.18 per 60 minutes of ice time. It's not just his offense that has been outstanding, either. He also has allowed the least amount of "high danger" chances to opponents out of Blue Jackets defenders, with just 2.64 per 60 minutes.
No matter what statistic you look at, Severson has been absolutely lights out so far for the Blue Jackets. He has sparked offense for the team while remaining disciplined and polished in his defensive zone.
His lone goal this season was in a key moment during the Blue Jackets' 3-2 win against Tampa Bay on October 18, as he jumped up in the rush and sniped a one-timer over the shoulder of Jonas Johansson.
Damon Severson goes top shelf to tie the game 👊 pic.twitter.com/UiWBZw2Xy9
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) October 19, 2025
Yes, 8 games is a very small sample size, and certainly too small to claim that Severson is suddenly an all-star. However, after a rough first two seasons made his contract look like a mistake, he will definitely earn his salary this year if his strong start continues.