What Should the Devils Do With Seamus Casey?
Seamus Casey still has promise, but is his future as an NHLer with the New Jersey Devils?
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Šimon Nemec wasn’t the only promising prospect the New Jersey Devils selected in the 2022 NHL Draft. So was Seamus Casey.
The Devils’ second pick in that draft (2nd round, 46th overall), Casey went on to have a productive two seasons with the Michigan Wolverines in NCAA hockey.
Since then, Casey has gotten a couple of cups of coffee in the NHL, but he hasn’t yet established himself as a regular.
As of now, there are no open spots on the Devils’ blue line for Casey. It’s also getting close to crunch time for him as a prospect. Where does he fit into the Devils’ plans moving forward?
Casey’s Pro Career So Far
Fans had every right to be excited about Casey when the Devils signed him out of Michigan. He showed some flashes of brilliance early in his pro career, too.
I think most everyone remembers Casey’s snipe against the Buffalo Sabres in the Global Series to open the 2024-25 season. If you don’t, here it is:
Casey has eight points in 16 career NHL games, and as that shot showed, he has some tantalizing skill. However, the underlying metrics haven’t been great.
Of course, it’s a small sample, but Casey has totaled an expected goals share (xG%) of 39.09 percent across those 16 games.
That’s why he’s spent the majority of the last two seasons with the Utica Comets in the AHL, but health has been an issue, too.
Casey played in just 30 games for the Comets during the 2024-25 season and only 29 last season. That’s a significant number of games lost during crucial developmental years.
At the very least, Casey was productive in his two seasons with the Comets. He totaled 18 points in 2024-25 and 19 last season. Those come out to a pace of about 47 to 48 points over a 72-game AHL season.
Still, he needs to stay on the ice. Because when he has been available, he’s made an impact for the Comets.
There still appears to be a player with NHL potential here, so hope is not lost for him. The question is whether his future is with the Devils.
Casey Has More Value to the Devils Than in a Trade
Earlier this offseason, Casey switched agents and is now represented by Pat Brisson, whose client list includes multiple big-name NHLers, including the Hughes brothers.
Sometimes, that means a player is looking for a change of scenery. Obviously, that hasn’t happened yet, and it might not happen in the near future.
Even though there’s no room in the NHL with the Devils for Casey, he might have more value to them than he would in a trade, at least for now.
If Casey did have trade value for a top-six or top-nine forward, it probably would have happened by now. It also doesn’t help that he’s a smaller defender, measuring 5-foot-10, 181 pounds.
That’s not to say he can’t make it in the NHL. He has the tools (high-end skating, hockey sense, and skill) to make it as a smaller defender, but we know how most NHL GMs feel about smaller defensemen.
Perhaps that will change with someone like Lane Hutson proving doubters wrong, but Casey obviously isn’t Hutson.
Still, Casey was a first-round prospect in many public scouting services’ rankings ahead of the 2022 draft. Elite Prospects’ David St. Louis, in particular, was high on his game ahead of that draft. The talent is there.
Comets Could Help Casey Rebound
Some of the arguments for keeping Casey in the AHL are similar to those for Lenni Hämeenaho. The Comets should be a much-improved team this coming season, and that should benefit Casey.
Anton Silayev signed his ELC this offseason and will likely begin the season with the Comets. With Silayev being more of a defensive defenseman without high-end puck skills, Casey could be an ideal defense partner for him.
If not Silayev, Topias Vilén will return for another season with the Comets and could make sense for Casey as a potential defense partner.
Additionally, Casey should be the top quarterback option for the Comets’ power play. They don’t have a ton of offensive skill on the back end, so that should be his job to lose.
Given where he is as a prospect, Casey should be a top-four defenseman for the Comets at a minimum, so the minutes will be there.
Casey likely doesn’t have much trade value right now, so the Devils would almost certainly be selling low on him if they dealt him now.
Plus, we all know injuries will occur at some point. Looking at the current depth chart, Casey would be call-up No. 1 if a right-handed defenseman suffers an injury. That could offer an opportunity to showcase himself for an NHL opening.
That’s why it may be best to keep Casey in the organization for the time being. Hopefully he can stay healthy, make an impact with the Comets, and start rebuilding his value.
Advanced stats from Natural Stat Trick
I agree - I believe his trade value to be throw in at best, a guy who doesn't move the needle at all at worst.
One of the reasons I'm very glad to have seen Nemec traded is his trade value hadn't cratered, yet, but I believe that would have happened, this season. With Casey, I doubt it was ever particularly high to begin with, but unlike Nemec, I believe Casey can turn that around very quickly. If he comes up and has ten games of being himself offensively, and not being underwater defensively, and it would completely change the way he's viewed.
Having multiple players with tanked value really seems to be the delayed fallout from the Fitz regime.