The Blue Jackets aren’t wasting time retooling their roster.
Still more than two weeks away from the NHL draft in Nashville, multiple reports say the Blue Jackets have acquired defenseman Damon Severson from the New Jersey Devils. Sportsnet, DailyFaceoff and NHL insider Chris Johnson have all said the deal is a sign-and-trade, and that Severson agreed to an 8-year contract with Columbus before being dealt to the Jackets in exchange for a third-round draft pick, No. 80 overall in the 2023 draft.
According to Cap Friendly, the annual salary-cap charge is $6.25 million per season for a veteran, right-handed defenseman who spent the first nine years of his NHL career with the Devils. Severson, 28, was the longest-tenured member of New Jersey’s roster, having been selected by the Devils in the second round of the 2012 NHL draft.
He is the second defenseman Columbus has added in the past 72 hours.
The Blue Jackets acquired defenseman Ivan Provorov, 26, in a three-way trade with the Philadelphia Flyers and Los Angeles Kings on Tuesday. Columbus sent its second of two first-round picks in this year’s draft (22nd overall) plus a conditional second-round pick in 2024 or 2025 to the Flyers in that deal.
That’s three draft picks in exchange for two proven NHL defensemen who can each play a two-way game and be physical in the defensive zone. Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen told the Dispatch after the Provorov deal that he wasn’t done bolstering the blue line and planned to add another strong addition either through trade or free agency.
The Severson trade was a little of both, since the Devils planned to let him explore unrestricted free agency when it opens July 1. This way, the Blue Jackets took Severson off the UFA market and added him to an impressive stable of defensemen in Columbus.
The Blue Jackets have also reportedly reached an agreement with veteran Mike Babcock to become the 11th coach in franchise history after his contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs expires on June 30.
This is a breaking story. Details will be added as they become available.
bhedger@dispatch.com
Get more Columbus Blue Jackets talk on the Cannon Fodder Podcast
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Columbus Blue Jackets trade for Devils defenseman Damon Severson
