Seamus Casey is an electrifying offensive defenseman who has the potential to go end-to-end every time the puck touches his stick. He has an extremely high ceiling and if he lives up to his potential, he could be one of the best offensive blueliners from the draft class. He has high-end skating ability, generating good speed with long and powerful strides. He loves to have the puck on his stick, driving transition play with his skating and puck-moving ability. He can manipulate the other team’s defensive setup with his puck movement and his vision, creating quality passing lanes and exploiting them whenever they present themselves. He’s the type of player who can run a top power play unit at the next level, not only because of his vision and passing but also because of his ability to get off shot attempts from the high-danger areas. His two-way game has really progressed as the season went on, but if there are any concerns about him, it’s on the defensive side of the puck. He has the skating and the IQ to be an effective defender, but still has the tendency to become too focused on the puck, allowing his assignment to slip by him and get open for a high-quality scoring opportunity. The maturity he’s shown throughout the season to continuously improve his defensive game is a big positive for his game, but it will be something he will want to work on. While he is a high-ceiling player, his floor may be lower than some of his teammates, which might give teams a bit of cause for concern in selecting him. But that ‘boom’ potential will be really intriguing to a lot of NHL teams, too. If he pays off, Casey will end up being a top-four mainstay for whoever drafts him and a key cog on the power play.

– FCHockey’s 2022 NHL Draft Guide