With nothing to lose, the New Jersey Devils should put Seamus Casey into the lineup

The New Jersey Devils need a spark after falling down 1-3 in their first-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes. We thought that spark might have come from Simon Nemec scoring a goal in double overtime to beat the Canes in Game 3, but Carolina came out and scored less than a minute into Game 4 to ruin any good vibes the Devils felt.

With nothing left to lose, the Devils need to play and act like they have nothing to lose. That means a lineup that's focused solely on bringing offense to the team. It means getting players to assess risk-reward differently. Prepare Jacob Markstrom for battle, because the Devils need to win on offense if they are going to take Game 5 and beyond.

We expected to see Dennis Cholowski in the lineup when the Devils announced that Luke Hughes, Brenden Dillon, and Johnny Kovacevic would all be out for Game 4. Cholowski has been the fill in for Brett Pesce when he's missed practice, showing he's the next man up.

Cholowski was exactly what you expected from him. He wasn't absolutely awful, but the Devils didn't have much offense from him in his 8:46 of 5v5 ice time. They had zero high-danger chances with him on the ice.

Seamus Casey deserves a chance to impact New Jersey Devils in the playoffs

After this performance, it's clear the Devils just need to try something different. We understand keeping the Hurricanes off the board, but if they don't score, it won't matter, barring a Markstrom shutout. That's why this is the first time we're outwardly advocating for Seamus Casey.

Casey wasn't very good in his latest stint. He might have been tired after a long season (his first as a professional). He might have just been overwhelmed with the role the Devils needed from him. Here, the Devils will have a very distinct opportunity for Casey. He needs to show up and shoot the puck.

Casey is expected to have a big impact on the Devils because he scored goals in his first stint when he was here at the beginning of the season. Casey had a great preseason, and he turned that into three goals in his first five games. Even with his struggles in his most recent stint, he had three assists in the Devils' last four games of the season.

The advanced stats are what they are. They show a defenseman who is not ready for the big show.

Make Seamus Casey a shooter in the next game for the New Jersey Devils

However, if you change Casey's mindset to fit what the Devils need to shock the Hurricanes, he could be even more impactful. Casey only has 12 shots this season. He has four goals on those 12 shots. With more volume, that percentage will go down a lot, but he knows how to shoot. The Devils should not only add him to the lineup, but give him the green light to shoot at will.

One thing the Devils shouldn't do is put Casey with Simon Nemec. They don't work together, but if you put him with a player who is defensively responsible (Jonas Siegenthaler, maybe?), then this could work really well.

It's a desperation move, just like when the Devils added Luke Hughes to the lineup against the Hurricanes in 2023, but we're in desperation mode. Sheldon Keefe is one game away from losing his fifth first-round series in six attempts. He might as well go out swinging, and Casey is one of the few offensive punches he still has in his arsenal.