5 Players Who’ve Played Their Last Games With New Jersey Devils

Miles Wood #44 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his goal with teammate Damon Severson #28 in the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Prudential Center on April 27, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
Miles Wood #44 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his goal with teammate Damon Severson #28 in the second period against the Philadelphia Flyers at Prudential Center on April 27, 2021 in Newark, New Jersey. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils defenseman Damon Severson (28): Danny Wild-USA TODAY Sports

2. Damon Severson

This one is sad, but there is no way the Devils and Damon Severson will continue their trajectories together. The Devils added John Marino last offseason, and he fit in perfectly with the team. At times, he was the Devils best defenseman. He was also crucial in their playoff run. Meanwhile, Severson basically took a back seat, playing the fewest minutes of all right-handed defensemen. The Devils can’t afford to spend close to $20 million on the right side of the defense again.

He still played just under 20 minutes per game. Someone will look at Severson and think he can be either their top guy or a 1B. The Devils always asked too much of Severson. This season, they asked too little. Now, they can’t justify bringing him back.

Severson’s minimum is $6 million per season. Depending on the length of the contract, he could get closer to $7 million per season. Maybe that sounds nuts, but look at the state of the free agency market. Dmitry Orlov is the only defenseman ranked higher on The Athletic’s list of free agents.

The Devils will likely make an offer to Severson, and they probably asked for the right of first refusal, but that won’t matter. The market will dictate a nice raise for Severson.