Damon Severson appears close to returning, and that’s great news for the Blue Jackets

Columbus Blue Jackets defenseman Damon Severson appears close to returning from injury after participating fully in practice alongside Zach Werenski on the top pairing. Severson, who could potentially make his season debut against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Thursday, has been sidelined since undergoing surgery for a shoulder injury suffered on March 26.

Curtis Deem writes that Severson's return will significantly boost Columbus after the team struggled down the stretch without him last season. His reinstatement to the top defensive pair is expected to slide Denton Mateychuk to the second pairing and push Jake Christiansen out of the lineup.