The New Jersey Devils only have a few prospects playing in the NCAA and major junior leagues, but the ones they do have are expected to play a large role for their team and could develop into impact players at the NHL level. These players just kicked off their season. Here’s a look at their starts so far.
Casey Scores Twice In Michigan Debut
Seamus Casey scored two goals in his Michigan debut Saturday as the Wolverines cruised to an 8-2 victory over Windsor in their first preseason game. The former second-round pick skated on the top pairing alongside Jacob Truscott in Luke Hughes’ spot after the latter was sidelined due to an injury sustained with Team USA at the World Junior Championship in August.
Related: New Jersey Devils Draft Seamus Casey 46th Overall
Casey’s first goal came when he jammed home the puck that ricocheted off the back boards right into the crease. His second came after he collected a puck at the top of the right circle, skated in and deked to his backhand to beat the goaltender over his blocker.
Michigan’s defensive core is also made up of the Devils’ 2021 first-round pick Luke Hughes and 2020 fourth-round pick Ethan Edwards.
Hughes’ Preseason Accolades
The Luke Hughes hype has continued into his sophomore season after he exceeded expectations last year with Michigan when he recorded 17 goals and 22 assists. The former fourth-overall pick broke the Michigan record for goals by a freshman defenseman, surpassing Dean Turner’s previous tally of 13 set in 1977. He was also named the Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year and to the All-Big Ten Second Team, All-Big Ten Freshman Team, Big Ten All-Tournament team and a top 10 finalist for the Hobey Baker Award.
Heading into this season, Hughes was named an alternate captain for the Wolverines and was added to Chris Peters of Flo Hockey’s 2022 Hobey Baker Award Watchlist and the Big Ten Preseason First Team. The 19-year-old is expected to build off his record-breaking freshman season to help seventh-ranked Michigan repeat as Big Ten Champions and push for its first NCAA Tournament championship since 1998.
Salminen Healthy Scratch In UConn’s First Series
Samu Salminen transferred to the University of Connecticut after de-committing from the University of Denver due to issues with Denver’s admission requirements. He is expected to log heavy minutes for the Huskies, but it didn’t quite work out that way early in UConn’s season.
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