On paper, this year’s New Jersey Devils rookie camp roster was underwhelming in comparison to previous editions. Regardless, the preseason tournament was a certain success, as the Devils went a solid 2-1-0. They took down the Ottawa Senators (9-1) and Buffalo Sabres (5-2), before falling to the Boston Bruins (4-6).
The results don’t matter nearly as much as the individual performance of players who have a chance to, one day, make an impact at the NHL level. And it’s safe to say the Devils attained near-perfection from those guys. Here are five that stood out:
Seamus Casey
Casey was (by far) the name to watch coming into the tournament, and you could tell why. The stat sheet is a little misleading, as he didn’t record a point, but he looked like a man amongst boys. The talented defenseman had 45 points in 40 games for the University of Michigan, and that skill was on full display at the Prospects Challenge. It felt like the Devils were cycling the puck in the offensive zone every time he was on the ice. You didn’t even have to look at the jersey number – when you saw a player stopping on a dime, then spinning and weaving his way through opposing defensemen with ease, you knew it was Casey. No other players (on either side) in any of the three games had that sort of skill set.
He could have had three or four points based on the plays he created, in fact, it’s a struggle to see how he wasn’t credited with the primary assist on a Devils power-play goal versus Ottawa. Kevin Dineen, the head coach for the tournament, told The Hockey Writers, “(Casey) has a skill; that composure and the ability to make plays under pressure, that we’re excited to see him playing at the pro level.”
Cam Squires
Squires is a first-class human being, as he won Quebec Maritimes Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) Humanitarian of the Year in 2022-23. From a young age, he has consistently partaken in charitable efforts to help his tight-knit home community of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. In this tournament, his play on the ice was equally as impressive.
Cam’s second is a beaut. pic.twitter.com/8DJLTIyGW6
— New Jersey Devils (@NJDevils) September 13, 2024
He had two goals and an assist against the Senators, and there was a noticeable increase in strength and physicality from last year. His development trend has been similar to that of Dawson Mercer; Squires had 72 points…
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