First Impressions: Seamus Casey
New Jersey's Global Series standout
Luke Hughes’ shoulder injury must have felt like a gut punch to Sheldon Keefe. The former Leafs bench boss was finally granted the blue line required to lean into his brand of hockey only to learn that its young, minute-munching centerpiece would miss significant time (another 5-7 weeks).
Enter Seamus Casey. The 20-year-old puck-mover won’t replace everything Hughes brings to the table, but his pace and IQ have nevertheless helped the Devils to a 2-0 start in 2024-25.
Here’s a rundown of the rookie’s Global Series performances vs. Buffalo.
The Film
Quiet and efficient skater. Since there’s very little wasted movement, he’s faster than he appears at first glance and fluidly changes directions/matches speeds. That, along with his timing, is the key to his NZ defense.
Impressive poise for a first-year rearguard. He’s as cool as a cucumber on DZ retrievals, clocking the location of oncoming pressure and his outlets without breaking a sweat:
In transition, he’s not afraid to lug the puck out himself or play chicken with forecheckers in order to swap an average passing target for a good one.
Beyond his patience, Casey displays excellent lateral shiftiness at the OZ blue line. While he’s not as flashy as, say, Lane Hutson, staying square to him is a tall order. His deception and feel for the opposition’s leverage/momentum allow him to create daylight out of seemingly harmless situations:
At least for now, he’s more of a shooter than a distributor in the OZ. Tinkers with his release point to crack open long-distance lanes. Also happy to rumble downhill and sew chaos below the dots. Often fires with his teammates—not his own scoring potential—in mind. With that said, his playmaking may blossom as he gains familiarity with NHL tempo/tendencies.
Similarly to Samuel Girard, net-front defense could become a sore spot for the 5’9”, 162-pounder. He’s simply outgunned in the trenches.
However, his aggressive gap control can mitigate that issue to some degree. He does a great job of pressing up early and squeezing forwards at an angle to walk them into dead ends. A proactive defender who stays on top of his assignment:
Perhaps a bit on the nose, but I see shades of Brian Rafalski’s craftiness in a new-school, higher-octane package. Not quite as steady, but more dynamic.
Before we get carried away, it’s worth noting that Casey has enjoyed extremely favorable third-pairing deployment thus far (12:42 TOI/GP and a team-high 83.3 OZS%). Then again, he’s debuted and delivered on his off side. How much better is he at RD? If his impact at LD persists, would Keefe consider keeping him in the lineup upon Brett Pesce’s return?
Thanks to its shiny new toys—including Casey—New Jersey’s blue line has gone from sinking the club to spilling over with options.