Severson quickly found a new home with the Blue Jackets

As a nine-year NHL veteran, Damon Severson knows how the game works.

The New Jersey Devils were one of the breakout teams in the 2022-23 campaign, but with a young roster and a bevy of names like Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier and Tomas Tatar in need of new contracts, the 28-year-old defenseman walked into his postseason meeting with general manager Tom Fitzgerald and heard a direct but unsurprising message.

"To be honest, I had my year-end exit meeting with Fitzy in New Jersey, and I went in there and he said, 'Well, it sucks for me to say, but I can't afford you,' " Severson said. "He was honest with me right off the bat.

"He said, 'You've done a great job for this team, and we appreciate everything you've brought to this organization over your tenure here. It's a good thing for you. It sucks for us that we're probably going to have to move on.' "

With that in mind, Severson knew he'd be leaving the Devils and entering unrestricted free agency. It's a unique time for any athlete, with the disappointment of saying goodbye to a previous home offset by the chance to choose where to continue their career.

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But for Severson, a world of possibilities quickly whittled down to an easy choice. The Blue Jackets contacted the Devils and wanted the opportunity to pitch Severson on Columbus as part of a sign-and-trade discussion, and the more Severson heard, the more the choice became clear.

"It was an interesting process for me," he said. "I've never been through something like that. I've been with New Jersey for so long. It came together pretty quick once New Jersey granted permission for Columbus to start speaking with us. Fortunately, I was at the top of their list, and they made it very clear. It makes you feel wanted, makes you feel good.

"They obviously had their pitch talking about the team on and off the ice, the city of Columbus and everything, all that goes into it. Obviously I talked about it with my wife, and there was a lot of stuff that went into it over a few days, but when they were aggressive with their pitch and they really wanted me to be there, that made me feel like that could be a good spot."

In the end, Severson signed an eight-year, $50 million contract with the Devils, then was shipped to Columbus for a third-round draft pick in the upcoming selection process. Before he even really hit the market as one of the top free agents available, Severson had his team and the Blue Jackets had their man, one they had put a target on going into the UFA process.

"Damon Severson was our No. 1 target as a UFA for defensemen, and we got him," Kekalainen said. "We're very happy about it. We've been watching him all year by multiple people, multiple members of our pro scouting staff, including myself -- watching him live, watching him on video, doing all the analytics of how he does on both ends of the ice, finding out about his character, how he is in the room, what kind of leader he is, what kind of person he is. All those things are very important for us."

A right-shot defenseman from Saskatchewan, Severson comes to Columbus with a reputation as a puck-moving blueliner with a penchant for durability. He's missed just three games over the past five seasons, posting a career mark of 58 goals, 205 assists and 263 points in 647 games (an average of 7-26-33 per 82 games in his career). Fittingly enough, his line last season read as exactly that, though he skated in "just" 81 contests.

"I think his all-around game," Kekalainen said when asked what the Blue Jackets see in Severson. "He's a smart defenseman. He makes a great pass out of the zone all the time. He doesn't need to be flashy. He's just effective, but he's effective on both sides of the puck. He's a good defender as well. He's smart, He's very well positioned all the time and anticipates. He reads the game well, so he doesn't have to run around.

"But he also has size and physicality to him, and you can play him in all situations, all special teams. He's also a leader, which is something we wanted to add to our group. He's a veteran defenseman that will bring in a lot of experience and leadership into our locker room as well."

While the Blue Jackets were banged up along the blue line last year, the additions of Severson and Ivan Provorov and the return of Zach Werenski should secure plenty of depth there. Severson slots into a right side that also includes Erik Gudbranson, Andrew Peeke, Adam Boqvist, Nick Blankenburg and potentially rookie David Jiricek, but he brings a dependable piece Columbus can build around.

And after helping New Jersey end a long streak without playoff hockey this past season, Severson hopes to do it again in his new home.

"It was a crazy process, but getting it done before July 1 where the rush would have happened is great," Severson said. "I couldn't be happier to go to Columbus."