Damon Severson: Our Savior

If there was anyone who was born to be a New Jersey Devil, it was Damon Severson. Just look at his name for proof. You can’t get any more devilish than the name Damon. Still, it was probably more his evolving defensive game and natural offensive flare along with his inherent composure and confidence that drew the Devils to select him during the second round—sixtieth overall—in the 2012 draft. He was a sweetie pie on his draft day as you can see:

I swear that cute smile and the country Canadian “o” and “u” alone were worth drafting him for, but that defense he mentioned rounding out and that offensive potential he prided himself on could definitely help the Devils, especially since the following two years part of the team’s struggles have emerged from defensemen being too slow to skate the puck out of their end or too offensively challenged (or visually impaired, given that some were aging like Salvador) to effectively pass the puck out of their zone to our veteran forwards. In a league built on speed and puck movement that is a Problem with a very deliberate capital P.

As a new member of the Devils organization, Damon attended the team’s 2012 rookie camp, where he discussed in an interview how he tried to soak in all the wisdom from the coaches and players at the camp and again explained how he tried to model his game after Shea Weber, an emulation that might be part of the reason why Damon has a very fierce and accurate shot from the point:

Since the Devils love to let prospects age like wine, Damon, predictably, was sent back down for another season in the WHL with the Kelowna Rockets, where he tallied fifty-two points (ten goals and forty-two assists) in seventy-one games during the regular season as well as ten points (one goal and nine assists) in eleven games during the playoffs. Basically that offensive game was coming along nicely.

With another year of experience under his belt, Damon arrived at rookie camp 2013, where he felt more familiar with the process than he had last year and where he mentioned that he perceived himself as more of a power play point producer (though he was committed to bringing an offensive dimension to five-on-five situations) and how pleased he was with how his high plus-minus rating reflected his burgeoning ability to keep the puck out his net:

An obviously driven and self-assured individual, Damon was motivated to make as powerful an impression as possible on the coaching staff and to complicate their decision to cut him from the team as much as he could. During rookie camp, he was strong enough to be invited to the team’s 2013 training camp, where he discussed how he believed that his ability to control the play and tempo of the game as a defenseman had grown in leaps and bounds the past year:

For those who might be wondering if the term “meteoric” to describe Damon’s development as a player was an exaggeration, it was hyperbole, but only slightly, because Damon was selected in the ninth round (one-hundred-ninety-second overall) by the Rockets in the 2009 bantam draft, and he played in the WHL just the year after. In other words, Damon’s growth as a player has a pattern of being exponential, so his shooting upward in points during the 2012-2013 season fits that trajectory.

Damon fulfilled his objective of impressing at the 2013 training camp, and he certainly made the decision to cut him from the Devils as hard as possible. He earned the opportunity to compete in two preseason games alongside Andy Greene (whom we all know would be ten times the captain that Salvador is), and Pete DeBoer was singing Damon’s praises.

When asked what Damon’s strengths were, Pete countered, “I think the better question is what are his weaknesses. There aren’t many. He really does a bit of everything well. He’s a big body, he has a physical edge to him, and he handles the puck well. He moves it well and can shoot it. For me he does a bit of everything. It’s a nice package. He’s real mature. Great kid. An exciting prospect.” This quote is a beautiful thing, because it gives me a chance to enhance the world peace movement by being able to agree with the words that come out of Pete DeBoer’s mouth. That so rarely happens that it’s quite a treat when it does.

Since the cruel hockey gods didn’t want the Devils to make the playoffs last year or to not have a team of geriatrics on ice, Damon was again sent back to the WHL, where he had a monster of a season in which he produced sixty-one points (fifteen goals and forty-six assists) in sixty-four games during the regular season in addition to eighteen points (four goals and fourteen assists) in fourteen playoff games.

Armed with the knowledge that his Canadian junior career was in the past, Damon showed up to the 2014 Devils training camp resolved to crack the roster and confident that he was prepared to play in the NHL whenever the chance arrived:

Damon’s preseason performance was impressive enough that he earned a slot in the opening night lineup against the Flyers over Adam Larsson (who should himself probably be in the lineup over Salvador the Slow if the Devils were a completely merit-based organization committed to winning).

Against the Flyers, Damon had a solid game, appearing to calm down more as the game progressed, and his compete level and focus seemed to climb a couple of notches after the score was tied 3-3. That suggests a poise and the potential to rise rather than crumble in important, big-game situations that is not common among young defensemen and is a trait that some defensemen never develop at all.

Damon’s work in the Flyers game was good enough to receive the coveted Pete DeBoer stamp of approval, who commented post-game, “I thought he was fantastic, composed, not overwhelmed, made plays. When the game turned, and it became 3-3, I thought that he got better, which means something for a young guy.” Perhaps because of Damon’s composure and apparent ability to perform under pressure, DeBoer felt comfortable using him on a penalty kill with nine minutes left in the game when the Devils were clinging to a 5-4 lead. As DeBoer stated, “He deserved to be out there. He was playing well enough that he should have been out there.”

While Damon’s NHL debut was great, he had to wait until the next game against the Panthers to materialize on the scoresheet, but when he did, he announced himself with a bang by assisting on a Mike Cammalleri goal and then rocketing a blast of his own past Roberto Luongo for his first NHL goal and multi-point night.

Damon’s goal prompted a precious moment back at the bench when DeBoer (doing his best impersonation of a competent NHL coach) actually remembered that he was legally permitted to interact with players outside of the locker room and gave Damon some congratulatory shoulder pats.

Then Damon was all adorable and couldn’t stifle a smile although he was trying to be all cool and mature, which even perpetually sad-faced DeBoer might have found cute, since he remarked post-game, “He was trying not to smile coming back to the bench. It was pretty funny actually. He was trying as hard as possible not to crack one, but I think we caught him, and good for him. It was great.” Basically, the Apocalypse is coming because DeBoer and I are both agreed that Damon is a perfect munchkin of a defenseman, so please don’t destroy his confidence, Coach, by benching him for the ninety million things Salvador gets away with on a consistent basis.

By comparison with his performance against the Panthers, Damon had a quiet game against the Tampa Bay Lightning, but he proved once again that he does not require sheltering when eleven of his twelve face-offs were taken in the defensive zone. Damon also caught my eye in a positive way when he was able to prevent a Lightning breakaway, and I wasn’t the only one who noticed his excellent work, since Devils’ beat writer Tom Guilitti reported that Scotty Bowman was gushing about Severson in the press box. If you stand out to Scotty Bowman in a good way, that probably is a sign that you’re doing something right, and I think with Damon what really makes him special is that the mistakes he makes are common for young defensemen but the things he does well especially at such a young age are quite rare. He’s special and fun to watch.

That’s why he found a way to be the highlight (and only positive) of the Devils’ loss to Washington. Although he goofed in his coverage on Ovechkin on the fourth goal, he was the one who tied the game twice with his two goals, which were the only ones that the Devils scored that game, and his ability to arise to the occasion and generate offense when his team needed was again a wonderful thing to see.

It’s really exciting to have a defenseman whose shots on net routinely make it through the traffic in front of the crease, but what’s even better is that I don’t think Damon’s performance is a fluke or just a surge of points.

I believe he is the real deal, and his true value as a defenseman isn’t solely in his point production but rather in his overall knack at accessing plays quickly and correctly. His three goals are wonderful—and if he can continue to rack up the points while seeing significant ice time he might become a dark horse contender for the Calder Trophy, since we know Calder voters are swayed by gaudy stats—but I’m climbing aboard the hype train because of the way he plays his position. His stick work, positioning, and overall comprehension of the game is extremely refined for such a young defenseman. Watch him read and react when forwards come bearing down. Watch his coverage on the off-side when play is in the opposite corner. Watch him detect from his partner when there is a defensive breakdown. Watch how silkily he can evade trouble with the puck. Those things typically take years for a defenseman to refine, and Damon has many of them fairly well mastered now when he is fresh out of junior. That stuff is not just a one time hot stretch. It’s a fundamental grasp of his position at an elevated level that should stay with him throughout his career in the NHL. This is all about following the play—which Damon does—and not the puck, since there is so much more to the game than tracking the black disc skidding across the ice. That’s why Scotty Bowman was impressed by Damon, even though Damon put up no points in Tampa.

Add in Damon’s offense, add in the fact that he just turned twenty in September, and add in the fact that he’s doing all the things I outlined in the above paragraph only four games into his NHL career without protected minutes—and on the road, he’s getting the less favorable match-ups that opposing coaches dictate—and you have a development curve that should continue to shoot upward. Damon should make a hell of a Devil, and, as fans, I hope we have the pleasure of watching him for many more years.

 

 

 

 

 

A Hell of a Road Trip: Takeaways from the Devils’ First Four Games

My Expectations Going into the Road Trip: I know that some people believe in a Stanley Cup or bust attitude to open every season, but I’m more inclined to try to set standards that are high but realistically attainable, so my goal for the season was just to see the Devils make the playoffs, and, if they did so, then we could start planning the parade. As a Devils fan who endured the agony of watching the team fail to qualify for the playoffs for two consecutive years after our Cinderella Stanley Cup Final run, where instead of marrying a prince, we got to lose to the Kings in six games if you can bear to remember the pain and haven’t blocked it from your mind owing to trauma, my high hopes for the season were just to see the team make the playoffs. Even if they got bounced in the first round, I’d be a content fan, since that would constitute progress.

Therefore, I was a very happy and proud Devils fan when the Devils briefly were on top of the league standings before they lost to the Capitals and fell to second place in the Metropolitan Division. I didn’t expect them to remain there forever because any pragmatic Devils fan would know that there are plenty of better rosters in the league, but just reading their name up there was a tribute to the tenacity that was supposed to be a calling card of Devils hockey. It was like we were trolling the whole NHL for a short time there, and we were all like:

Obviously, as yesterday evening’s spanking by the Capitals illustrates, this team still has some holes that the coaching staff and players need to figure out how to fill, but I have a lot more optimisim at the start of this season than I did at the beginning of last year, which opened with a glamorous losing streak.

What Engines are Firing with Our Offense: After the Devils scored six goals in Philadelphia and thrashed the Panthers 5-1, the team somehow attracted the moniker of being high-scoring. Given that the team then proceeded to only score a pair of goals in each of the next two games, it’s fair to say that adjective might have been a slight exaggeration, but it’s still true that the Devils have done a better job finishing on their scoring chances than they did last year. Michael Cammalleri has been a particular gem in that department of capitalizing the opportunities that Jagr gives him and he has been able to find the empty net when the other team has pulled the goaltender, which is something the Devils team failed to do last year. The blue line has contributed to the offensive production by doing a much better job of moving the puck up to the forwards than our defensemen did last season, and our power play is much more effective with Damon’s sharp shot from the point actually making it through traffic to land in the back of the opposition’s net.

What’s Stalled with Our Offense: Our leading scorer from last season, Jaromir Jagr, has yet to notch a goal, so that’s a bit discouraging, especially because when Jagr isn’t going, the leech that is Travis Zajac can’t produce much for himself either. Hopefully Jagr realizes soon that the season has started and pots a few.

Where Our Defense has been a Rock: Merrill is strong in his own end, bringing a physical edge and a shutdown side that is very useful in the top four and has been helpful on the penalty kill. Gelinas still has a nice offensive skill set, and he perceives the ice well. This season there also have been some promising signs like Gelinas taking a hit against the boards to make a play that he is focused on improving his responsibility in his own end, which can only be a positive for the Devils.

The biggest stud and standout for me, though, has been Damon Severson. Severson has put up four points (three goals and one assist) in four games without needing to be sheltered, and he’s dependable in his own zone, reading the game well. With only four NHL games under his belt, it’s remarkable how poised he is, and he manages to be a bright spot even in embarrassing loses by scoring the Devils’ only two goals. Just seeing what he can do on the backend for our team has made me a lot more optimistic about not only this season but also the entire future of the Devils organization. He’s only played four games in a Devils’ sweater, but I love him already, and I have a lot of confidence in what he can do with and without the puck in the offensive and defensive zone, but I’m going to write a whole post in tribute to him, so you can read that to get your fill of Severson gushing.

Where Our Defense has been Chipping: Andy Greene, while still being mostly reliable, has seemed rather pedestrian by his typical standards, and he will need to improve if the Devils want to remain in a playoff position has the season continues. Gelinas also still has a tendency to take some boneheaded penalties that can cost the team, and Merrill can become a bit unsettled and panicky when things start to go awry. Severson, as a rookie, is also prone to the errors (though so far he’s made few of them and the things he does well are uncommon in a young defenseman, so he’s still a very promising prospect) that are to be expected of inexperienced defensemen, and by that I mean that he’s had some turnovers and been caught in the wrong spot a handful of times. These things are growing pains, and they will ultimately make our blue line stronger and wiser. I think that these young defensemen can become the Devils’ core and backbone for years of we make a commitment to them and they make a commitment to us, so I like seeing the team get a little less old and gray.

When our Goalie has been a Wall: Schneider withstood some onslaughts during the Flyers game, and, although he gave up four goals, he was hardly a sieve the whole game. He was brilliant in the Tampa game, and, in fact, was a major reason why we were able to steal those two points. If Schneider can be a presence for us in the net and help us win games that we shouldn’t, he’ll be worth every penny of his shiny new contract, and fans will love him.

When Our Goalie has Caved: During the Flyer’s game, Schneider gave up a goal right after the Devils had scored, and he did the same thing in the Captials game after Severson tied it at two. Those tallies are momentum changers, and if he had been able to make those saves, the team’s energy level would have been more positive. Schneider’s performance in the Captials game was pitiful, but at least he acknowledged in his post-game interview that one of the goals was entirely on him. I approve of him taking responsibility for his own errors, and I’m not going to flip out at him for having one poor game at the end of a long road trip especially when goaltenders like Lundqvist, Quick, and Price have all had rather shaky starts to their seasons.

My Overall Verdict: The team still needs to tighten up defensively, learn how to stop surrendering leads, and figure out how to generate some consistent offense, but we have a lot of promising young defenseman who are being able to shine in the spotlight this year, and we’re a hard-working team that has been able to finish more scoring chances than last season and generate more puck movement from the blue line. Devils fans should be optimistic about our season and the franchise’s future, but we can temper those expectations with realism.

If the Season Ended Today, Would We Make the Playoffs? Yep. We’re second in the Metropolitan Division, so we’d currently make the playoffs and face off against the Capitals, who are presently ranked third in our division.

Should Pete DeBoer be Canned? I’ve never been a fan of this guy, but as long as the wins keep rolling in, he can stick around. At the end of the season, if Babcock hasn’t re-signed with Detroit, I wouldn’t mind Lou writing him a blank check if that’s what it takes to woo Babcock here, because Babcock is about twenty times the coach that DeBoer is, and that’s being generous to DeBoer since he hasn’t sucked as much this year as he did last one.

The Bottom Line: The New Jersey Devils went 3-1 on their opening road trip. If I’d been told at the beginning of the season that we’d earn six points out of a possible eight on our opening road trip, I’d be quite pleased, especially, since, by way of comparison, Tampa—regarded by many analysts as being a legitimate Cup contender this season—came away with the same amount of points points from an opening home stand. Now that the Devils are returning to home ice, let’s hope that they can keep winning at a respectable clip and remain in a playoff spot. That’s all I want my team to be right now: a solid playoff team. Please don’t disappoint me again, Devils, and if you could continue to remain ahead of the Rangers in the standings as an added bonus, that’d be great.