As the New Jersey Devils prepare to head to Prague for the start of the regular season, management and the coaching staff will face a tough decision. With Luke Hughes out six to eight weeks and Santeri Hatakka injured, the Devils will need a defenseman to replace one, if not both. New Jersey’s highly touted defensive prospect, Seamus Casey, is making a great case to be on the Devils opening night roster.
The Devils played back-to-back preseason games against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday night and the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night in New Jersey. Seamus Casey played in both games. The second-round pick (46th overall) from the 2022 NHL Draft shows he can transition from playing in College to the NHL and has not missed a beat.
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There was not a lot of good coming out of either game. However, one player stood out in both games this week for the Devils and was noticeable on the ice. That was Seamus Casey. Casey led all defenseman in five-on-five shot contributions against Washington. He made things happen all night for the Devils as head coach Sheldon Keefe rewarded him for his play.
“I wanted to play him again here tonight (Wednesday night) with more of our NHL guys in. I think the skill sets match up really well. And if he showed enough positive things yesterday, he certainly earned an opportunity to play in the game here today,” Keefe said. “Despite it being back-to-back and travel and all the other things we might look at for some guys in a situation like this, he thrived. So I was thrilled with his game, and it was a no-brainer to put him out late in the game.”
Casey played the last two seasons with Michigan where he was their number one defenseman. He also played on the 2024 World Junior team for the USA and won a gold medal. On the international stage, Casey showed his ability with the puck and remained steady in his defensive zone.
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Coming out of college, he signed his entry-level deal with the Devils. Throughout the rookie camp and tournament, Casey showed his abilities to be a potential defenseman in the NHL. Expectations heading into this season for Casey were likely him playing in the AHL for the Utica Devils. However, with the injury to Luke Hughes, a spot opened up, and Seamus Casey has shown his ability to take the opportunity and run with it.
As Devils President and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald stated, it is a “next man up” mentality for this club. And he will only get better with more practice and gameplay. Against Washington, he looked more confident about the puck than he did against Montreal. He is also learning a whole new system with an entirely new coaching staff and picking it up quickly.
“As a coach, especially a guy coming in trying to learn who everybody is and what they can do, you’re just watching. And, each day, he’s just getting better and better,” Keefe started.
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Casey impresses not only his coach but also his teammates.
“I’ve watched a lot of him over the years; I thought he had a great game,” Jack Hughes said when asked about Casey. “Moved the puck well, defended hard, he’s a really good skater. I was honestly surprised at how good he was tonight (Wednesday night).”
What was more impressive is that Seamus Casey was doing this against a Capitals team that dressed 75 percent NHLers. Similar to the Canadiens on Tuesday night. While his size and build will be an issue early on, Seamus Casey will put on his man weight and become a steady NHL defenseman for the New Jersey Devils.
There are tough decisions to make as the Devils prepare to head overseas. But you must think that Seamus Casey will be among those heading there next week to start the regular season.
