How Prepared is Seamus Casey for Professional Hockey?

A check-in on Seamus Casey as he heads to the professional ranks

Aug 18, 2024

Here at Hockey’s Arsenal, we’ve written a lot about New Jersey Devils defense prospect Seamus Casey.

From his draft year - Better Point Play with Seamus Casey
To his freshman year - Breaking Down The Tape Of Seamus Casey's First Game At The University Of Michigan
And into his sophomore year - Killing Plays Early and Breakout Options with Seamus Casey

It’s no secret we are massive fans of his. But there’s no guarantee he actualizes into the player we projected he would become years ago.

Ahead of the 2024-25 season, Casey has officially signed with the Devils. Today, we are reviewing his last game, a 4-0 defeat to Boston College at the Frozen Four. As we review Casey’s performance, we’ll focus on how the handling, skating, and poise that distinguished him in college may translate to the professional ranks:

Clip #1: First Shift

Casey’s first shift encapsulates Michigan’s night: some good chances not quite taken only to be burned in transition by BC’s top gunners.

With his first touch of the game, Casey sends a wrist shot straight off the post directly off a faceoff. After the Eagles clear, he then completes a breakout to Garrett Schifsky (17 in blue) to set up a clean UM entry (0:20)
Casey goes on to show off his poise at the point of creating some chaos at the BC net from a low danger area (0:32). He does the same to lesser effect later in the shift (0:36), and that’s where he and the Wolverines wind up in trouble. Casey makes a questionable decision to pinch (0:40), and T.J. Hughes (13 in blue) failed to cover as a high F3. BC gets an odd-man chance which Will Smith (6 in white) converts

Clip #2: Casey as Forward

It’s not just that Casey is comfortable getting up into the play; it’s that he’s completely at home playing as a forward. He even did it in a pinch for a full (exhibition) game against the US NTDP as a freshman to great success.
You can see that in action here, with Casey rotating to fill the center’s role in the middle of the ice to lead the rush. After his initial slot pass doesn’t connect, he forechecks as a forward to create a subsequent chance. There’s no end product here, but it helps show just how naturally Casey creates offense

Clip #3: Evasiveness and Relieving Pressure

Here’s a classic Casey moment: Under duress in his own end, but completely at ease relieving that pressure, and leaving the puck in a better state than he found it in sending it over for his partner to clear

Clip #4: Penalty Killing Leverage

For Casey to succeed as an undersized defenseman in the NHL, he will have to play with sound body leverage, and you can see his ability in action on the PK here. He ensures he has inside leverage on Gabe Perreault (34 in white) off the faceoff, then as he collects the puck, he keeps his body between the puck and Perreault, ensuring he has the room he needs to clear the puck 200 feet.

Clip #5: Confidence to Attempt Plays

Here, you see the same skills that served Casey well in Clip #3 get him in trouble. He spins back to relieve pressure, but his breakout pass is knocked out of the air. Casey shows his confidence to try tight plays and isn’t afraid of make things happen even in the season’s most important game. While he will need to tune in his risk at the professional level, the attempts to create showcase a much higher performance ceiling is available to him.

Clip #6: Transition Maestro

Casey’s elite puck-handling and edgework are on display as a zone entry maestro. As a soloist, Casey could get himself an entry with ease. Coaches at the USNTDP called him a “breakout machine.” He attacks up ice by skating at the forecheckers to freeze their feet and make them little more than a cone.

Clip #7: Solid Defense Leads to Offense

The margins were thin even as the final score was lopsided. Here, the game is at four-on-four and BC has just scored to take a 2-0 lead. By the end of the clip, Cutter Gauthier scores to make it 3-0, effectively ending the game with not quite seven minutes left in the second period
Casey starts by defending the player on the puck. Despite his smaller-than-normal size, he engages physically and forces a bad pass.
Casey then immediately transitions to offense to offer himself as a breakout option. He ends up leading the rush (0:09). He expertly manages speed and spacing through the NZ before kicking the puck out when a BC defenseman steps to pressure the puck.
Rather than immediately heading back to his defensive position, he continues his route to the net for offensive possibilities… another great habit of his.
As the sequence continues, we see Casey starting to rotate back to a defensive posture when a last-man back turnover occurs. At the end of the shift on tired legs, Casey doesn’t have the juice left in his legs to track down the speedy Cutter Gauthier.

Closing Thought:

Casey has the tools to be an impact player in the NHL for a long time, but as his career takes off, a major variable will be tuning in his risk management. It’s a risk/reward where Casey can change games both ways. As Casey heads to professional hockey, we will continue to monitor his progress to see how he’s adapting the skills that distinguish him while avoiding the turnovers and negative plays that will draw the instant ire of an NHL coaching staff.

The ceiling is high and it’s an exciting time to be a Devils fan. We expect him to have 1-2 seasons in the AHL as he adjusts, but it may not be long until you see Casey on NHL ice.

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