The Devils kicked off their preseason slate with a rookie squad matchup against the New York Islanders at the RWJ Barnabas Health Hockey House in Newark on Sunday. In front of 1,000 or so fans, coaches and scouts, fans had a lot to like in the Devils 5-4 OT loss. The Devils were led by Matyas Melovsky's three point game, including two identical backhand goals within a 2 minute span in the third, but it was the young defenders that impressed the most. Seamus Casey, Ethan Edwards, and Anton Silaev; who just recently dropped the "Y" from his last name because "Y" not, all showed glimpses of greatness, proving they'll be ready for NHL action sooner than later.
Seamus Casey
Casey had a great start to the season in Utica last year, earning an All-Star nod before injuries derailed his season. The former Michigan Alum looked anything but rookie-like in his performance on Sunday. A confident Casey utilized his smooth skating and dictated play with clean zone exits and exceptional vision. The oft rumored trade chip, Casey seems ready to take the leap into the NHL this upcoming season. Whether it's as a Devil is yet to be seen.
Casey had a strong start to his NHL career in 24'-25'. The youngster showed his elite shooting ability, highlighted by a sneakily deceptive and quick release, scoring three goals and an assist in his first five career games. In 14 contests with NJ that season, Casey finished with 4G, 4A, and a +3 rating before being sent to Utica indefinitely by former GM Tom Fitzgerald.
Listed at 5'10'' and 180lbs, Casey is the exact size and weight as the Devils most coveted piece, Quinn Hughes. In addition he also plays a very similar but not as far skilled and developed style of hockey as Quinn. The only difference is Casey being a righty and Hughes shooting with his left. Could we see Casey with the big team this year as somewhat of a Quinn Hughes understudy? If any spots on the right side open, Casey has made the case to be the first call up.
Ethan Edwards
With the 120th overall pick in the 2020 draft, Tom Fitzgerald nailed this one (he did get a lot right as GM, just one thing completely wrong that defines his legacy). Another great skating University of Michigan product that sees the ice extremely well, Edwards looked solid in Sunday's affair and extremely impressive in 3v3 overtime. In overtime Edwards controlled the puck and the play, generating many chances for NJ, just none that went in the net.
While not as ready to make the leap to the big squad as Casey, Edwards may not be too far behind. Keep an eye on him for the remainder of camp, if he blossoms rapidly, questions could arise if the defense is as deep or even deeper than the offense this season..
Anton Silaev
When drafted 10th overall in 2024, it was almost too good to believe that a 6'7'' defender was tagged as one of the best skaters in the draft. Well, fast forward two years and the 20 year old Russian seems to be exactly as advertised.
Silaev was a dominant force both with and without the puck yesterday. His speed and range led to him pressuring the opposition all over the ice. His constant "on top of you" presence forced the Islanders to force plays and turnover pucks with regularity. While he did not look to be overly physical, Silaev took advantage when the opportunity arose. He threw a thunderous bump, (yes a bump can be thunderous when it arrives through a vessel as large as Silaev) sending an Islander into the end boards and leading to a bit of a skirmish behind the Devils goal.
Offensively Silaev showed to make great reads in the O-zone and utilized his skating well to jump into the rush. While he didn't register any points, it's clear that Silaev will be capable of producing in all areas.
Overall it was a very encouraging day for the young Devils, especially on the defensive side and I'm not just saying this in hopes that Bill Guerin is reading...