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Lou Lamoriello has been with the New Jersey Devils
for 25 years and has been a key figure in turning around the once mediocre
Devils.
This past off-season was a memorable one for New
Jersey. Star center Zach Parise packed his bags and went home to Minnesota and
the Devils were close to losing future hall of fame goalie Martin Brodeur.
At the National Hockey League Entry Draft this past
June, Lamoriello used his first round pick on Blainville-Boisbriand forward
Stefan Matteau, who adds depth to the left wing position.
However, the New Jersey Devils are known for their
great defenseman. Scott Stevens, Ken Daneyko, and Scott Neidermayer all have
donned a Devils sweater and each has had their numbers raised to the Prudential
Center rafters.
In the second round of the NHL Entry Draft,
Lamoriello selected Kelowna Rockets defenseman Damon Severson with the 60th
overall pick.
Severson, a well-rounded, two-way defenseman, is
just latest Rockets defenseman to be drafted into the NHL. Among the notable
alumni are; Shea Weber, Tyler Myers, Duncan Keith, and Alex Edler.
Kelowna will be glad to have him, as he will most
likely be an anchor and leader on defense for the Rockets.
Severson brings a lot to the table defensively. He
is a great shot-blocker, and is considered one of the best in his draft class. He
is regarded as responsible in his own, although he does have mental lapses from
time to time.
Among his strengths defensively are his ability to
clear the crease and his work ethic along the boards.
On the other side of spectrum, Severson possesses a
hard one-timer and will be used frequently on the Kelowna powerplay. However,
he does not possess the offensive skills of guys like Mathew Dumba or Morgan
Rielly
This season is Severson's third season in Kelowna.
Among the improvements we should during the season are his consistency and he
should pick it up offensively.
So far through two games, Damon Severson has one assist
and nine penalty minutes.
As far as his long-term future, scouts and scouting
websites have predicted Severson to be a strong second pairing defender and a
contributor on the powerplay. On Friday's Prospect Preview, we will talk about Colorado Avalanche prospect Garrett Meurs.
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