Summer Spotlight: Severson ready for year two in Columbus

In the leadup to training camp in September, BlueJackets.com is featuring CBJ players each weekday this summer.

How he got here: Severson signed an eight-year contract and joined the team via trade with New Jersey in summer 2023, choosing to forgo free agency and become a Blue Jacket. A second-round draft pick in 2012 of the Devils amid a strong junior career with Kelowna (WHL), Severson immediately went to the NHL his first pro season and had a nine-year stint with New Jersey, wearing an “A” for two of those seasons and placing fourth all-time among Devils’ defensemen with 263 points.

The 2023-24 season: Severson’s first season with the Blue Jackets had some ups and downs, but his production was in line with his yearly averages with the Devils. There was a bit of a transition period with a new team – as well as a month missed because of an oblique injury – but Severson was one of the team’s top defensemen throughout the campaign. His puck-moving skills made him an easy player to move around the lineup, as he played extensive time in the top four with both Zach Werenski and Ivan Provorov as well as stints with Adam Boqvist and Erik Gudbranson. Per MoneyPuck.com, his pairing with Provorov produced the best expected goals margin on the team among duos with at least 100 minutes played together at 5-on-5.

Top moment: Severson had a pair of two-goal games in his initial season with the Blue Jackets, including in the 6-2 win over Philadelphia on April 6 in which all six CBJ tallies were scored by defensemen. After Erik Gudbranson’s opening goal, Severson scored back-to-back tallies, including this sweet give-and-go with Johnny Gaudreau that he finished to give the Blue Jackets a 3-0 lead.

Fun fact: A standout baseball player growing up, playing competitively until the age of 18, Severson still plays some in the summers and threw out the first pitch before a Cleveland Guardians game a season ago.

Stat to Know: Severson is one of just eight Blue Jackets defensemen in team history with two multiple-goal games, joining Boqvist, Werenski, Jake Bean, Bryan Berard, Vladislav Gavrikov, Seth Jones and Rostislav Klesla. Interestingly, all of them have accomplished the feat in the same season as well.

Expectations for 2024-25: If you look around the league, there's often a transition period for veteran defensemen in year one when they move from a long-term team to a new atmosphere. As a result, that might mean Severson is set for a stronger second campaign in Columbus, and that would be good news for the Blue Jackets given he’s penciled into a top-four role on the right side of the defense. At his best, Severson can eat big minutes and brings offense from the blue line, from his skill at getting the puck out of the defensive zone to the ability to create in the offensive zone. He’s a dependable player and also key in the dressing room given his veteran nature and affable personality.