The New Jersey Devils have been a team showing immense potential through the past few years, but whether it be due to injuries or deals going wrong, the team are yet to take the final leap towards being true Stanley Cup contenders.
In 2026/27, they have as good a roster as we’ve seen from them in recent seasons, and on the back of an overtime winner to start the new season, hopes are high for them in a wide open Metropolitan Division. They were hoping to see some young names make the leap to the NHL this season, but unfortunately, on Friday, the team announced some unfortunate news on one of their most intriguing prospects.
Devils Blue Liner Seamus Casey Undergoes Surgery
That player is 22-year-old defenseman Seamus Casey, a former second-round draft pick of the Devils who was once considered one of the top prospects in the organization. Ahead of the 2026/27 campaign, he’s still considered a top-five prospect in New Jersey, and after playing well across 29 AHL games a season ago, the hope was that he could take the full-time leap to the NHL this season.
However, he was hurt in a pre-season battle with the New York Rangers, and now, Head Coach Sheldon Keefe has confirmed he will undergo surgery, noting an unfortunate timeline on his potential return after showing so much promise before the injury.
“It’s going to be about an eight to ten week recovery,” said Keefe.
“It’s going to be about an eight to ten week recovery.”
That’s a brutal bit of luck for Casey, a player that’s been showing immense potential ever since he was drafted in 2022, with the hope being that he could replace Simon Nemec after he was traded by the franchise this past summer.
Can Seamus Casey Make the Full-Time Jump to the NHL?
While there’s still time for Casey to develop, he’ll turn 23-years-old during the upcoming season, and given what we’ve seen from him in the AHL thus far, the time is now for him to make that leap. Over the past two seasons, Casey has tallied 4 goals and 37 points across 59 games played with the Utica Comets, and while there’s concerns over his size at 5-foot-10, 181 pounds, the belief is that he can play a role in the Devils bottom-four.
This setback won’t help him in the slightest unfortunately, and with Declan Chisholm stepping up on the right side being Dougie Hamilton and Brett Pesce, his opportunity at a full-time NHL role may be significantly hampered by the injury.
Ultimately, this is still a player that’s got immense upside, so while this will be a setback, if he’s given the chance to prove himself, upon return the 2026/27 campaign could still be a very good one for the talented young defenseman.
Top New Jersey Devils Prospect Suffers Major Setback Ahead of New Season