The New Jersey Devils will be bringing a rookie defenseman with them to Prague. Seamus Casey, the Devils’ second-round pick (46th overall) from the 2022 NHL Draft, has smoothly transitioned from playing in college to the NHL. This is his first training camp with the club. Nobody thought he would make the trip to Prague to begin the season with the Devils.
However, there was an opportunity for him. A spot was open with the New Jersey Devils seeing defensemen Luke Hughes and Santeri Hatakka injured. The Devils had several options to fill the void internally. With the mentality of the next man up, Casey made the most of his opportunity. He used ruthless aggression and relied on his skill to show the coaches he should be playing opening night in Prague.
“If you had to wager on it, you would have said he’d be going to Utica to start the season and gaining valuable experience down there, but we have an opportunity here with the injuries that we have, and he’s performed well,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said on Sunday after practice. “Those things meeting, we think he’s earned the right to come on the trip with us.”
Sheldon Keefe Keeping New Jersey Devils Defensively Accountable
As DevilsNation.com has documented, there was a good chance Seamus Casey would make this roster. He looked like an NHL defenseman in his two preseason games. While he did not play in Friday’s preseason loss to the New York Islanders, Casey did skate against the Montreal Canadiens on Tuesday and then on Wednesday against the Washington Capitals. Casey did not look out of place, especially against the Capitals, who dressed a roster that featured 75 percent NHLers.
“In the games that he’s played for us, he’s made plays and advanced the puck for us nicely, which is something we need, and then he also defended well,” Keefe said on Sunday. “He’s got good angles, he’s cut people off, and he used his body very intelligently, which is important if you’re going to be an undersized defenseman.”
The skill is there. There is a reason why the Devils drafted him where they did. The last two years at Michigan are playing on their number one defence pair. Then on the international stage with Team USA at the world junior stage. Now, he is doing it at the NHL level. You can see what college hockey means to a defenseman, and a defenseman of Casey’s skill.
Development is key. His attributes, especially his vision and skating ability for a puck-moving defenseman like Casey, have impressed Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe the most.
“Smart player, he’s done it before in college,” Keefe said on Sunday. “Smart, skilled player, he’s able to get himself out of tricky situations because of his intelligence and his skill. So that’s part of it, you think that he can do it but the other piece is you’re just trying not to mess with the other guys so much.”
Seamus Casey was on the third pair with Simon Nemec when the Devils held practice on Sunday. That was a good sign that he was going to Prague with the big club. Casey is putting in the work in practice and off the ice. This has translated into a confident player, which has given the coach no choice but to bring him overseas to start the season.
“In terms of what he’s shown, he’s shown confidence,” Keefe continued on Sunday. “When I say that, it’s that he’s stayed true to himself and his game. Despite the fact that he’s coming into his first camp and all of that, he’s really gotten better each day. Each day, it seems like he’s got more and more confident and comfortable.”
Seamus Casey is Making a Case to Make the Devils Roster
Again, Seamus Casey had an opportunity to step in and fill a role for the Devils. He did just that. The question will be whether he plays in one or both games for the New Jersey Devils next weekend. The Devils open the 2024-25 season in Czechia, taking on the Buffalo Sabres on October 4th and 5th.
