The New Jersey Devils are finally getting good news on the injury front at the NHL level. Curtis Lazar returned early from his lower-body injury, although he seems to have suffered a setback according to Sheldon Keefe. Nathan Bastian is back on the ice, and the Devils are closer to a full forward lineup. Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce missed roughly the first month of the season, and in their absence, Seamus Casey was given his first opportunity in the NHL.
Seamus Casey looked really good for the few games he played. He had three goals in eight games played, and he looked like he could hold his own in the big leagues. There were some issues with his partnership with fellow prospect Simon Nemec, but besides that, it was as good an eight-game stretch we could ask for.
With Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce returning and Johnathan Kovacevic more than earning his starting spot, there was no room for Casey (and, surprisingly, Nemec). They sent Casey to the AHL, where he’s been really good this season. He has 14 points in 17 games with the Utica Comets. He’s third in the league in points among rookie defensemen. He’s 11th in PPG among all rookies, as he has fewer games than most stars thanks to his stint in the NHL.
Devils receive terrible injury news on top prospect Seamus Casey
This is all happening on a terrible Comets team. Only Adam Beckman has more points than Casey. It makes it even more impressive that Casey is able to thrive no matter who he is paired with.
The Comets have been trying to get back into the playoff race after losing their first 13 games of the season (even if you want to call it a “winless streak,” they lost all those games). They are still way behind everyone in the division, sitting 13 points behind Belleville, who is second to last in the division.
Now, the Comets suffer another blow. Ben Birnell of the Utica Sentinel reports that Casey was injured in Wednesday night’s contest and will be out of the lineup for at least a few weeks.
Seamus Casey is out with an upper-body injury, I’m told.
— Ben Birnell (@BB_URSentinel) December 19, 2024
Sounds like he’ll be out for a few weeks.
That’s why he wasn’t In the Comets’ lineup Wednesday.
Not sure when he got hurt, though it appears he left late in third period last Saturday at Syracuse
Casey being out is terrible on multiple fronts. First and foremost, it's bad for Utica. They lose probably their best player, especially when it comes to driving offense. It's bad for Casey's development, as he loses momentum in his rookie professional season. It's also bad for the Devils, as they lose one of their important depth pieces on defense. The team would likely go for Nick DeSimone or Simon Nemec in the short term, but if the team needed wins down the stretch, Casey might have been their best option.
We will wait to learn more on the injury before judging its impact further. However, this is not good news for a top prospect in the organization.