As if he hadn't already been waiting for his chance, Seamus Casey will have to wait even longer to play full-time in the NHL. On Thursday night, in the New Jersey Devils' preseason 4-3 shootout loss to the New York Rangers, the Devils' young defenseman left the game with an injury. It came halfway through the second period after an awkward collision with a Ranger skater near the Devils' bench.
Casey did not return to the game, and head coach Sheldon Keefe spoke on the timeline for Casey's return to play. “He’s going to need to get evaluated; don’t have exact word on status, nobody knows at this point" said Keefe. "We’ll have to get him looked at. He’s going to miss some time; we just don’t know the extent of it.” This injury is particularly frustrating for Casey.
Brutal injury for Seamus Casey. Definitely an awkward collision.
— Devils Fanatics (@devilsfanatics) September 25, 2026
He will miss some time, per Sheldon Keefe. https://t.co/7gyahBNKS7 pic.twitter.com/Dx3ZIAk5oj
He missed 43 combined games last year with the Devils' AHL affiliate, the Utica Comets. This was due to multiple lower-body injuries he sustained. Now, it appears that Casey will once again be on the sidelines. What makes this more complicated is the fact that the future is uncertain for his place within the Devils' organization long-term.
New Jersey has a bulk of their defensive core locked up currently. In addition to that, guys like Anton Silaev, Mikaël Diotte, Ethan Edwards, and Daniil Orlov are making a case to be the back end of the future. It should be mentioned that there's still a chance that a certain Hughes brother could end up in the Garden State.
So, where does this leave Seamus Casey and the New Jersey Devils?
That's the tricky part. He's shown flashes of having the talent to be a full-time NHLer. On the other hand, he's dealt with several injuries that have slowed down his development. As mentioned before, it doesn't help that the Devils have a logjam of defensemen.
The options are limited for the young defenseman. It starts with getting healthy. Once there, he'll have to start fast and showcase the skill we've seen before. If he can do that, it will give him a chance to be a call-up for the Devils, or perhaps an enticing trade piece Devils' general manager Sunny Mehta could use to improve his team. The latter would give Casey a chance at a fresh start where he has a clearer path to staying in the NHL.
For now, though, the future is very much uncertain for Seamus Casey. He'll have to wait again for his chance, and who knows what or when that will look like.
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