Casey made the jump to professional hockey last year and made it look easy. As an undersized defenseman, the expectation was that he would struggle in professional competition. While there were some moments where Casey was exposed, he looked like an impact player more often than not. With the Devils, Casey scored four goals and eight points in 14 games, excellent numbers for a defenseman in his first professional year. On top of that, Casey added 18 points in 30 games for the Utica Comets. What Casey will be is a power play quarterback who can hold his own at five-on-five but likely will not get penalty-killing time. With the Devils’ loaded offensive weapons on defense, with Luke Hughes, Dougie Hamilton, and potentially Simon Nemec ahead of Casey on the power play depth chart, Casey may be better served as trade bait and get a larger role on a different team that is not as loaded on the back end right now.

Casey got his first taste of the NHL, where he immediately slotted in as a third-pair, second-power-play-unit defenseman. In his few games, he showed clear and consistent high-end ability with the puck, using his pristine edge-work and elite ability to walk the blue line to create space for himself and his teammates. Defensive inconsistencies have been and will continue to be an area in which he needs work, but the offensive brilliance is on display on a nightly basis. With a bit more time logging heavier minutes in the AHL, he has the potential to turn into a top-scoring defenseman.

Casey has signed with the New Jersey Devils and will likely start the year with Utica of the AHL. The 5’10 defenseman dominated the Michigan Wolverines in the NCAA, scoring seven goals and 45 points in 40 games for Michigan this past season, third in PTS among NCAA defensemen. Casey also showed significant growth in his defensive play, showcasing more maturity in IQ in puck battles and shutdown chances. A more undersized defenseman like Casey must be a very talented player to compensate for the lack of size. He’s seemingly meeting the challenge with his play for Michigan, but it’ll take playing in the pros for anything to feel definite.

Casey was a tremendous pick-up for the Devils with their 46th-overall pick. The right-handed blue-liner both fits a need in the pipeline, and offers high upside for a second-rounder. Although he’s on the shorter side at 5-10, Casey’s skating, hands and high-end processing combine very well to help him manipulate opponents on breakouts and zone entries. He is committed to one of the best NCAA programs in U. of Michigan, and will look to work on his rush defending and in-zone involvement.

The New Jersey Devils have selected Casey in the second round of the 2022 NHL Draft, 46th overall.