NEWARK | Damon Severson has 621 NHL games but only four playoff games. A second-round pick by the Devils in 2012, the Saskatchewan native has always played in New Jersey.
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Severson, who made his debut with the Devils in 2014/15, is one of the good speakers to describe the long stretches of a recovery.
He made the playoffs just once in his first eight NHL seasons. It was spring 2018. The Tampa Bay Lightning had easily won five games in the first round of the playoffs against the Devils. Severson had worn his team’s uniform in four of the five games.
“I’ve been in New Jersey a long time and lived through the dark years,” Severson said a few hours before the game against the Canadian at the Prudential Center. There were seasons when it was very long. I sometimes had the feeling that we weren’t making any progress. But there was still growth. Today we are reaping the rewards. But we haven’t won anything yet, we’re just talking about a good season.”
Two big centers
In New Jersey, there is hope that the lean years are over. With Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Dougie Hamilton and an experienced coach in Lindy Ruff, the Devils are now one of the good teams in the NHL.
“There’s a different vibe,” Severson said. When you arrive at the arena there is life and more fans in the stands. People from Jersey are coming back to us and even small celebrities stop by. It’s a classic, but the fans want to see a winning team. The feeling is much better.”
Severson looked to the draft to explain the rebirth of that franchise.
“We were lucky enough to win the first choice lottery twice. We drafted Nico and Jack. They ended up changing the image of our franchise, but it took them a few seasons to establish themselves as big stars in our league. You build your team with good crosses. We have two very good ones. But there are other good hopes too.
The famous process
Hischier has served as Captain of the Devils since the 2020-2021 season and has also suffered more losses than wins since joining the NHL. The 2017 draft-class leader appeared in just five playoff games during his 2017-18 rookie season.
“It wasn’t pleasant, we were bottom of the table in the last few seasons. But we kept believing, we had to go through the process. I always believed in the potential of this team. This year proves that we are on the right track.”
“I feel like the other teams now respect our speed and the way we play,” added winger Dawson Mercer. I’m only in my second season, but I think we’ve made a big leap in our development as a team this season. »
If Martin St-Louis doesn’t like comparisons, the Devils can still be a role model for the Canadian. Before the CH dreams of happier days, it will go through long seasons on this long road of reconstruction.
When asked about the Devils, St-Louis offered this line where patience remained a key element.
“It didn’t happen overnight for the Devils,” he said. There was no magic pill to transform this team. It’s a process.”