"Unbelievable pass" was how New Jersey Devils head coach Sheldon Keefe described Seamus Casey's pass to Timo Meier that led to his third-period goal that made the game 3-0. That was the biggest compliment Keefe has given to the third-line right hander spot since Dougie Hamilton went down with an injury.
Casey took the spot that had been held by former second-overall pick Simon Nemec and recently traded Dennis Cholowski. He's been playing in Utica waiting for this opportunity. He did miss some time due to injury, but he has been really good since returning.
We don't expect Casey to go back to the Comets, so his final stats in his first professional season is 18 points in 30 games. Not bad for an AHL rookie. He was going to be an All-Star in the minor leagues, but injury actually led to Nemec taking that spot. Which makes this ironic, since Casey probably took Nemec's spot on the NHL roster.
Will Nemec get another chance this season? It's definitely likely, as Keefe has been known to give a look to different players as of late. But Casey's performance on Saturday might be all Keefe needs to see to make him the starter in the playoffs. Keefe went on to sing the praises of Casey in the postgame press conference.
"I thought he was solid... He also made a great pass to set Sprong up for a one timer. That was an elite play... I thought he managed (the Rangers lineup) well from my perspective behind the bench. I like what he brought to the group today. "Sheldon Keefe, Devils head coach
Seamus Casey needed one game to steal his spot
The Devils are looking for a spark with so many players on the shelf. They had to focus on the defensive side of the blue line with Dougie Hamilton on the shelf. Luke Hughes is doing his best to be a superstar two-way defenseman, but the Devils could sure use more offensive help from thei defensemen. That's why Nemec is getting the chances despite his less-than-stellar play.
If Casey can play as well as we saw on Saturday over the long term, then Keefe isn't going to try anyone else. Casey will be in the playoff lineup. And he deserves to be. Nemec will get his shot again next season, but when it comes to the playoffs, the Devils can't afford his mistakes.