The recent play of New Jersey Devils defenseman Seamus Casey should lead to Simon Nemec becoming the first player sent to the AHL once Brett Pesce returns.
The recent play of New Jersey Devils defenseman Seamus Casey should lead to Simon Nemec becoming the first player sent to the AHL once Brett Pesce returns.
The biggest storyline surrounding the New Jersey Devils is the performance and emergence of rookie defenseman Seamus Casey over the team's first five games of the 2024-25 season.
The 20-year-old has four points (three goals, one assist), including one game-winning goal. He has averaged the least amount of ice time among all defensemen (12:25) but has been the most impactful offensively. Along with Dougie Hamilton, he is the other blueliner who has been relied upon to quarterback the power play.
With all his offensive contributions, he has not sacrificed the defensive part of his play. Mistakes have been made, as expected, but head coach Sheldon Keefe has praised Casey's play in his own zone.
"As much as the goals are great, if his game defensively is a mess and it is a fire drill when he is on the ice, he is not going to be able to stay here," Keefe said after Monday's game. "But his defensive game, he is playing with intelligence. For an undersized defenseman, he plays his body so well. He doesn't complicate things for himself or his teammates."
Casey was given an opportunity to make the team out of training camp due to injuries to Luke Hughes (shoulder) and Brett Pesce (ankle). Both defensemen will return eventually, and Keefe must make a difficult decision.
But will it be as difficult as a decision as many suspect?
Simon Nemec's first season playing hockey in North America was 2022-23, during which time he played 65 games in the American Hockey League with the Utica Comets.
There, Utica's head coach, Kevin Dineen, worked with Nemec to help him understand he could impact a game without scoring goals.
"Because [Nemec] has a tendency to feel the need to have an impact on the game, there's a little bit of an offensive bend towards things, and I think that's an area in which we have had a lot of conversations," Dineen said to NHL.com in Sept. 2023. "He is a really mature kid and needs to know he can be a real impact player even if it is not on the scoreboard. You can go out there and kill penalties, too."
A depleted Devils blue line in 2023-24 resulted in Nemec's NHL debut and appearing in 60 consecutive games. He averaged 1:16 of power play time and 51 seconds on the penalty kill.
In watching Hughes and Nemec last season, two things became clear.
The first is that Hughes is offensively gifted. His 47 points in 82 games in his first season in the NHL are a testament to this. He led all rookie defensemen in power-play points (25), power-play goals (four), and takeaways (42).
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The second is that Nemec's game was more well-rounded, which can be credited to Dineen's work with him in Utica. Regarding defensive play, I gave Nemec a clear edge over Hughes.
Ahead of training camp, Nemec suffered an upper-body injury, but the organization said he was cleared to go once on-ice sessions began. It is no secret that the 20-year-old had a challenging preseason and had his fair share of ups and downs since the team opened the 2024-25 campaign.
After five games, it is evident that Casey, like Hughes, has an advantage over Nemec in terms of offensive play.
Despite Nemec's experience quarterbacking the power play last season, Keefe and his staff decided to start the season with Casey on the second power-play unit. It was another one of Keefe's decisions that immediately paid off, as two of Casey's three goals were scored on the man advantage.
Because of Casey's play, it is looking increasingly likely that when Pesce returns, Nemec will be the first player sent to Utica, but it should not be considered a bad thing.
It gives Dineen more time to work with Nemec to round out his game and have him work toward being a solid two-way NHL defenseman. The foundation is already there. Despite only playing 60 games last season, he led the Devils in blocked shots (105) and earned 19 points.
Players will constantly say their second year in the league or with a new team is more challenging than the first. In season one, there is little to no expectation; a player is, in essence, playing with house money. Then, season two begins, and at minimum, a player is expected to replicate the season prior.
The mental part of the game emerges in a player's sophomore season.
To start the season, Casey is playing with house money because no one expected him to start 2024-25 in New Jersey. Nemec now falls into the category of not only needing to live up to last season but also the expectation that he will be better and take further strides in his game.
With Pesce's return looming and the Devils' overall defensive depth, Nemec has an opportunity to continue developing his game away from the pressure of being a constant in the NHL.
To become a top penalty killer, learn when to pinch in to avoid unnecessary odd-man rushes, continue to adjust to the physical style of the NHL, and overall become harder to play against.
Keefe and General Manager Tom Fitzgerald know it is not in their best interest to continually sit any developing defenseman, including Nemec and Casey. This is an instance where Keefe can help his team and an individual player in one fell swoop.
The Devils will only benefit from Nemec's further development and rounding out his two-way game. The emergence of Casey and Johnathan Kovacevic can, at least at this moment, buy Nemec time to rediscover his game and confidence, even if it requires some time in the AHL.
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