Devils’ Seamus Casey Undergoes Knee Surgery

A quality defensive prospect for the New Jersey Devils will miss the first few months of the 2026-27 campaign. The Devils announced that Seamus Casey recently underwent knee surgery, with a projected recovery timeline of eight to 10 weeks.

Casey’s current injury stems from a September 24th preseason contest between New Jersey and the New York Rangers. Surgery wasn’t expected at the time, but it was already known that Casey would “miss some time” according to head coach Sheldon Keefe. Now, after surgery, Casey won’t begin the season until late November or early December.

It’s another difficult blow for a former second-round pick who has run into considerable injury trouble in the first few years of his professional career. The University of Michigan alumnus began the 2025-26 season late due to a lingering lower-body issue from training camp, and had his season ended in February after undergoing season-ending knee surgery. Casey hasn’t played in a regular-season contest in the NHL or AHL since January. By the time he returns from his recent knee surgery, Casey will have missed nearly a calendar year of hockey, which few 22-year-old defensemen could handle gracefully.

Still, he’s been solid when healthy. During the 2024-25 season, his first professional campaign, Casey began the year with the Devils, scoring four goals and eight points in 14 games while averaging 12:39 of ice time per game. He finished the campaign with the AHL’s Utica Comets, registering three goals and 18 points in 30 games with a +1 rating.

As stated earlier, he started last season late and had it cut short due to a separate knee surgery. In between injuries, Casey registered one goal and 19 points in 21 games for the Comets, though he also managed an unsightly -13 rating. Unfortunately, because of the injuries, he only suited up in one contest for the Devils.

As unfortunate as it is, Casey will now face an additional uphill climb early in his professional career. The only silver lining is that Casey is an offensive-minded right-handed defenseman. The Devils already have one in Dougie Hamilton, but he has only two years remaining on his contract. New Jersey also has Brett Pesce and Johnathan Kovacevic, but neither of them has the same offensive ceiling as Casey.