The New Jersey Devils need someone to step up in Brett Pesce’s absence, as the blueline is looking a bit disjointed in their last four games.
NHL analyst Arthur Staple sees a defining stretch ahead for Seamus Casey and the Devils’ defense, starting with the young blueliner’s chance to claim a permanent role.
“I’d be interested to see what Seamus Casey can do with a little bit of runway here,” Staple said. “He was kind of the odd man out. The injury obviously made that decision for them, but I was sort of curious—especially if Simon Nemec struggled, and if Casey was healthy, whether that would be a bit of a rotation, maybe. And maybe once Brett Pesce is back and Casey is now healthy, that then potentially that’ll be something that they consider. But you’d like to see Casey kind of grab the reins here and be a regular contributor.”
Casey’s early impression was strong before injury sidelined him, and now, with a potential pairing with Luke Hughes, there’s opportunity before the 21-year-old blueliner.
“Casey is going to get a real opportunity playing with Luke Hughes here,” Staple noted, “so he’s got to make the most of it.”
The timing of Casey’s recall aligned with a Western swing in which defensive lapses were exposed—most notably against San Jose.
“When you’re playing San Jose, when you’re playing Anaheim—more San Jose—they’ve got such talented forwards, but they’re not so good on defense,” Staple warned. “And if you get into a track meet with them, it can bite you. It bit the [New York] Rangers the other night, because they’ve obviously got Macklin Celebrini, Will Smith, you know, guys that can score.”
The Colorado Avalanche game offered a recent cautionary tale.
“We saw too much of that in the Colorado game,” Staple said. “Obviously, when everything that is a turnover at the opposing blue line ends up in the back of your net, it looks horrible. But I think if they can cut down some of those plays and kind of steady themselves…”
Casey was part of the defensive lapses against the Sharks. However, he wasn’t the direct result. Sheldon Keefe continues to look for the right combinations and pairings amid key injuries, which has left the defense as a whole looking off.
His directive to the blue line is straightforward:
“You’d like to see the D-core at least be smart, be solid. You don’t have to be flashy. It doesn’t have to be like a crazy low event game. But maybe not step out of the structure too much.”
We don’t know yet if Pesce is nearing a return. Simon Nemec is under scrutiny, however, for some rough stretches out West. Casey’s performance in these high-tempo matchups could determine whether he rotates in—or locks down a spot for good.
He won’t be a Pesce replacement. However, if he could just hold his own defensively, he could earn himself a regular role.
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