One of the defining moments of the 2025-26 season for the Columbus Blue Jackets was when they lost defenseman Damon Severson to a shoulder injury. The team stumbled to a 2-8-1 finish without him and Mathieu Olivier.
Severson had shoulder surgery on April 2. The good news for him and the Blue Jackets is that it appears he’ll be ready to go for the season opener on Oct 1 against the Buffalo Sabres.
Severson Expected to Miss Preseason Games
Blue Jackets GM Don Waddell spoke on Severson’s status on Wednesday morning. They will take things easy until the start of the season.
“He’s ready to roll,” Waddell said. “We’ll probably keep him out of the exhibition games. No real reason for him to play in exhibition games. He’s here and he’s doing everything right now. We just want to be a little cautious where we keep him out of heavy contact or anything like that. We’ll let him get back going. But I expect him to be ready for the start of the season.”
Severson is expected to practice during camp in order to ramp things up. He will have gone over six months between games assuming he plays in the opener.
Severson enjoyed his best season with the Blue Jackets in 2025-26. This was especially noticeable not only offensively but defensively too. When he was on the ice at 5-on-5 last season, the Blue Jackets outscored their opponents 63-51. His steady presence along with Zach Werenski elevated their team for much of the season.
Severson’s return will be a big boost to a Blue Jackets’ team looking to get over the playoff hump after six consecutive misses. Assuming all goes well and there are no setbacks, he’ll be ready to resume his role on the top defensive pair and perhaps their second power-play unit.
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