The longer Luke Hughes goes without a contract, the more the New Jersey Devils will need to seriously evaluate their options to replace him on defense, even in a temporary capacity.
Fellow former University of Michigan defenseman Ethan Edwards has gained some early consideration from the Devils and Devils fans, primarily due to his playstyle, steady preseason performances, and his being a left-shot defender.
But, if the Devils want the most apt Hughes replacement they can get from their in-house options, they ought to turn to Seamus Casey, another Michigan alum who already played a total of 15 NHL games last season, scoring four goals, four assists, and eight points.
The former second-round pick isn't the most ideal Hughes replacement as a 5-foot-10, right-shot defenseman, but the Devils must also weigh how much Hughes brings to the team from an offensive standpoint, both at even strength and on the power play.
A player like Simon Nemec could step in and man the second power play unit, but, assuming he also sees time on the penalty kill ahead of top power play quarterback Dougie Hamilton, that could end up being a lot of minutes thrown at a 21-year-old who wasn't trusted by Sheldon Keefe until the very end of the season.
Casey, in suboptimal circumstances, already filled in for Hughes in the same capacity at the start of last season, playing on the left side of the defense next to Nemec.
While those two together were a disaster and probably shouldn't be back together again, you can still make the argument for Casey to play that same role alongside someone like Brett Pesce, for example. Pesce, of course, was Hughes's defense partner anyway, so it's only appropriate.
Seamus Casey has already earned a spot in the New Jersey Devils lineup
It should be noted, too, that Casey scored three times playing this role in his first five games of the season in 2024-25. Sure, his 33.3% shooting percentage will see significant regression, but it's also indicative of the way Casey plays the game.
The 21-year-old is arguably the most skilled offensive defenseman the Devils have behind Hughes, so it's not as if the offensive production is a complete fluke. Casey has the skill and hockey IQ to earn his bounces and continually create chances for himself and his teammates.
It helps that Casey supplied two assists on Luke Glendening and Arseny Gritsyuk in his preseason debut against the New York Islanders on Friday night.
If the Devils are going to have to replace Hughes, even for a few games or less, they might as well give the minutes to a defenseman who could have a long future in the NHL with the Devils. Casey has flashed that potential plenty already in his limited experience last year, and building on that is now the next step.