By Chris Ryan | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

The Devils have several restricted free agents they still need to sign this summer, and while general manager Ray Shero expects no hiccups in the process, there are still a few questions to be answered.

The biggest one will be the type of deal defenseman Damon Severson signs. The 22-year-old defenseman is coming off his entry-level deal, and while he is not arbitration eligible yet, he and the Devils have a few options.

Here is a quick look at the type of contracts the Devils and Severson will be exploring, with comparable players for each type.

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Devils' stance with Severson

The Devils know there is plenty of time to come to the right agreement with Severson, and now that the dust has settled on unrestricted free agency and the offseason has quieted down, the two sides can do that. Devils GM Ray Shero talked about having different options with Severson, which we'll explore below.

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Saed Hindash | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

"Guys like Damon Severson we’ll take some time on because we’ll get some different options with him," Shero said. "He’s still a young defenseman that we’re excited to work with, and we want to make sure he understands that. So we’ll get some options with him and his agent, and there’s no rush there."

Here are those options:

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SHORT-TERM DEAL

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If the Devils and Severson can't come to an agreement on a contract over one season, they can agree to a one-year deal and revisit the matter again next offseason. Severson is not arbitration eligible this summer, but he will be following the 2017-18 season if he signs a one-year deal and becomes a restricted free agent next July.

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Comparable Short-Term Deals

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Ryan Murphy, Minnesota Wild - 1 year, $700K ($700K AAV)

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Grant Halverson | Getty Images

Murphy, a member of the 2011 NHL Draft class, signed a one-year deal with the Wild this offseason. He's the exception on this list because he didn't re-sign with is previous team. Murphy was drafted by the Hurricanes in 2011 before being traded to the Calgary Flames during the 2016-17 season. The Flames bought out Murphy earlier this offseason. If Severson does land on a short-term deal with the Devils, ti will likely be around $1 million or lower, since Severson's qualifying offer is worth $660K.

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BRIDGE DEAL

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Basically, this will come into play of the Devils want to lock up Severson for a few seasons without paying the big money of a longer term. This type of deal would carry a two or three year term which would allow the Devils to further evaluate the type of money Severson would be worth on the open market.

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Comparable Bridge Deals

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Cody Ceci, Ottawa Senators - 2 years, $5.6 million ($2.8 million AAV)

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Charles LeClaire | USA TODAY Sports

Ceci signed this deal following the 2015-16 season, and he has one season left before he become a restricted free agent again following the 2017-18 season. A bridge deal would have a similar effect on Severson.

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Jacob Trouba, Winnipeg Jets - 2 years, $6 million ($3 million AAV)

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Bruce Fedyck | USA TODAY Sports

Trouba and the Jets have had plenty of drama in their contract negotiations, and the two sides settled on a bridge deal. He's been at the center of trade rumors over the past year, and he will be a restricted free agent again after the 2017-18 season.

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Jake McCabe, Buffalo Sabres - 3 years, $4.8 million ($1.6 million AAV)

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Timothy T. Ludwig | USA TODAY Sports

McCabe signed a three year extension in Buffalo prior to the 2016-17 season, and he will become a restricted free agent following the 2018-19 season. Of the comparable bridge deals from other defensemen in the 2012 Draft class, it would make sense for a bridge deal with Severson to carry an AAV between $2 and $3 million.

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LONG-TERM DEAL

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The Devils and Severson could aim to lock up a long-term agreement, where a five-year or longer deal would carry him past the point where he would be an unrestricted free agent. This would be the priciest deal on the table for the Devils, but it would go a long way to locking up one of their better offensive-minded defensemen.

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Elsa | Getty Images

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Comparable Long-Term Deals

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Colton Parayko, St. Louis Blues - 5 years, $27.5 million ($5.5 million AAV)

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Jeff Roberson | AP Photo

Parayko, also a member of the 2012 NHL Draft class, was a restricted free agent this summer, except he was able to file for arbitration. Parayko had a little more bargaining power at the table than Severson does, so his benchmark may be a bit higher than what Severson would get in a long-term deal. But it does go to show that locking up talented defensemen isn't cheap.

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Jaccob Slavin, Carolina Hurricanes - 7 years, $37.1 million ($5.3 million AAV)

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Chris Seward | Raleigh News & Observer/TNS

Slavin still had one year left on his entry-level contract when he signed a seven-year extension with the Hurricanes this summer. While Slavin's offensive numbers rival Severson's (34 points to Severson's 31 last season), Slavin did post a plus-23 rating, where Severson struggled more in the defensive end with a minus-31 mark.

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Morgan Rielly, Toronto Maple Leafs - 6 years, $30 million ($5 million AAV)

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Dan Hamilton | USA TODAY Sports

The Maple Leafs locked up one of their young defenseman prior to the 2016-17 season, signing him to a six-year deal before making a playoff run. Rielly is set to become an unrestricted free agent following the 2021-22 season.

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Shayne Gostisbehere, Philadelphia Flyers - 6 years, $27 million ($4.5 million AAV)

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Charles LeClaire | USA TODAY Sports

Of the long-term deals from defenseman in the 2012 NHL Draft class, Gostisbehere's might be the most reasonable. The Flyers locked him up for six more seasons at under $5 million a pop. Still, signing Severson at this AAV would be pricey, but that's the going rate to lock up a defenseman in the NHL

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Chris Ryan may be reached at cryan@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @ChrisRyan_NJ. Find NJ.com Devils on Facebook.