Injuries to Luke Hughes and Brett Pesce put the Devils in the familiar position of having to plug players into the lineup. Johnathan Kovacevic went from a fill-in to a team regular, but he's not the only one. Seamus Casey was given a chance to start the season with the Devils, and he has excelled with the opportunity.
Casey is a 2022 second-round pick out of the University of Michigan. The 20-year-old defenseman crept up the Devils prospect pool after a 45-point season with Michigan. A short summer and a preseason later, Casey made his Devils debut.
The Devils felt Casey's impact quickly. He scored in the Devils' second game of the season, a 3-1 win over the Sabres. He’s followed it up with two more goals against Washington and Utah. It seems as if Casey has found a signature move already: creep in, drag the puck to move the defenseman into a screen, and shoot it at a different angle than what he was showing the goalie. He's scored all three of his goals in this style.
Casey has found a presence in the Devils offensive side of the game early in his career. He’s found out that he has a shot that can beat NHL goalies and be a key component in the Devils early season success.
The young defenseman has been more than just a plug-in for New Jersey. He’s been one of the Devils brightest spots at the start of the season. The blueliner has taken over the Devil's second power-play unit and is currently the league leader among defensemen in terms of goals with three.
Seeing his offensive game flourish has been vital for New Jersey with the Hughes injury. Taking a 47-point defenseman out of your lineup is not ideal. The Devils saw this last season when Dougie Hamilton’s season ended in late November. In the small sample size, Casey has shown optimism for the Devils that they have a defenseman who can pick up points and contribute offensively when other players aren’t in the lineup.
Defensemen for the most part take longer to develop into the NHL than forwards. Casey is no exception. He’s going to miss reads at times and find himself out of position. His offensive game however has been an exception. He has found ways to be deceptive early and lure opposing players in to create passing/shooting lanes. Three goals and an assist through five games is the statline. Letting a young defenseman use his strengths that have had positive results can only be a plus in his development.
When New Jersey is healthy, they’ll have a decision to make about what to do with Casey. His play through six games has made it a tough decision for Devils management -- a good problem to have.