Prospect Info: #46 Overall, RD Seamus Casey US-NTDP

[forceten]

We have the best posters. It's what keeps us coming back. I still hope to moderate the podcast someday with you and @Guadana and @Guttersniped debating the draft. It would be glorious. Guadana's malapropisms and playing Gutttersniped off when the anecdotal evidence starts piling up while you get drunker and drunker and then we take calls and my kids phone in to insult me and ask all of you why you would trust your podcast to a senile old coot. It would be glorious.

Can I also call in and provide non sequiturs about whiskey, beer, music, books, and then try to relive my radio Devils glory from when I was 6 and called in to ask if "Barry Beck was a good defenseman?" when the Devils were playing the Rangers.

 

[My3Sons]

Can I also call in and provide non sequiturs about whiskey, beer, music, books, and then try to relive my radio Devils glory from when I was 6 and called in to ask if "Barry Beck was a good defenseman?" when the Devils were playing the Rangers.

I’m sure the panel would be happy to discuss Barry Beck. You’d probably have to clear thr whiskey and beer brands ahead of time so @Guttersniped could have the factoids ready to go when you call. I also think each call would have to be a separate one. One for whiskey then a later call for beer etc. You could use the same name when you call in but one topic per call during the podcast.

 

[forceten]

I’m sure the panel would be happy to discuss Barry Beck. You’d probably have to clear thr whiskey and beer brands ahead of time so @Guttersniped could have the factoids ready to go when you call. I also think each call would have to be a separate one. One for whiskey then a later call for beer etc. You could use the same name when you call in but one topic per call during the podcast.

OK. That works.

 

[Saugus]

Can't wait to have a guy named Seamus on the team

Seamus Casey sounds like the name of a rogue IRA faction leader villain in a 90s action movie.

And I’m totally here for it.

 

[Guadana]

Can I also call in and provide non sequiturs about whiskey, beer, music, books, and then try to relive my radio Devils glory from when I was 6 and called in to ask if "Barry Beck was a good defenseman?" when the Devils were playing the Rangers.

Whiskey? We should debate about hockey!

Seamus Casey sounds like the name of a rogue IRA faction leader villain in a 90s action movie.

And I’m totally here for it.

Good reason to call my (theoretical) future kid by this name, thanks. Now I can left "Herostratus" and "Ebenezer" behind.

 

[forceten]

Whiskey? We should debate about hockey!

What's there to debate? Obviously everyone on this board is in violent agreement on hockey matters.

 

[Brent Burns Beard]

Came for the Casey updates, stayed for the oddly interesting banter.

 

[Billdo]

Seamus Casey sounds like the name of a rogue IRA faction leader villain in a 90s action movie.

And I’m totally here for it.

The leader of the Irish on Sons of Anarchy.

 

[Ripshot 43]

The leader of the Irish on Sons of Anarchy.

That SOB better not put a hand on Abel

 

[Billdo]

That SOB better not put a hand on Abel

 

[TBF1972]

I'm a big fan of Hutson, but I would rate Casey as the better overall prospect. Hutson is an offensive wizard, but even his bigger fans must realize this is a player whose minutes will have to be monitored -- he's just not an effective defender in the D-zone without the puck, despite an impressive compete level and a whole lot of hockey smarts. I think he'll score a ton on the Montreal PP and generate offense effectively on the Canadiens' 3rd pairing if deployed correctly. Hutson was certainly an excellent pick where the Canadiens got him -- if you're down one goal with under 5 minutes in the game, you should probably have this little offensive whiz on the ice the entire time.

Casey however is a more complete defenseman. His offensive ceiling is *technically* below Hutson, but I see him scoring more points over his NHL career because he's a kid who can be deployed in any situation. Casey's gaps and positioning are tremendous, his stick always active, and his problem-solving in the defensive zone is near-flawless. He's never going to be a dominant net-front presence or win 99% of puck battles like prime-Zeno Chara of course, but this is a kid who can very capably defend. His ability to attain the puck clearly plays up his extraordinary abilities once he has the puck.

My personal bias towards more defense-first defenders may have caused me to undervalue Casey initially in my draft rankings, but this is a kid who has clearly proved all my concerns to be foolhardy. Though my 2022 rankings had Casey just outside the 1st round, I'd now feel confident ranking him among the top 10 RD prospects outside the NHL.

make sure to delete this post. if any habs fans read this you won't be save anywhere on this planet.

 

[TBF1972]

We have the best posters. It's what keeps us coming back. I still hope to moderate the podcast someday with you and @Guadana and @Guttersniped debating the draft. It would be glorious. Guadana's malapropisms and playing Gutttersniped off when the anecdotal evidence starts piling up while you get drunker and drunker and then we take calls and my kids phone in to insult me and ask all of you why you would trust your podcast to a senile old coot. It would be glorious.

i love sti and guttersniped. but my vote goes out to guadana

here my all time favorite hfboard post:

GDT: - Devils @ Flames - 10:00 PM - MSG

Yes it’s the Hockey night in Canada showcase game . I am just about to leave to drive to Calgary Go Devils Go ! My and my brother are sitting 4 seats over from the Devils tunnel to dressing room . Somewhat close to the Devils bench I am taking bets now to get me to do this at the game when I’m...

forums.hfboards.com

Can I also call in and provide non sequiturs about whiskey, beer, music, books, and then try to relive my radio Devils glory from when I was 6 and called in to ask if "Barry Beck was a good defenseman?" when the Devils were playing the Rangers.

only censored topic is fly fishing.

 

[Ripshot 43]

View attachment 728969

Such an underrated show despite that season being iffy.

 

[My3Sons]

i love sti and guttersniped. but my vote goes out to guadana

here my all time favorite hfboard post:

GDT: - Devils @ Flames - 10:00 PM - MSG

Yes it’s the Hockey night in Canada showcase game . I am just about to leave to drive to Calgary Go Devils Go ! My and my brother are sitting 4 seats over from the Devils tunnel to dressing room . Somewhat close to the Devils bench I am taking bets now to get me to do this at the game when I’m...

forums.hfboards.com

only censored topic is fly fishing.

I remember that post. It was brilliant. For a guy who is not native in English @Guadana has great dry humor

 

[Normal Devil]

The leader of the Irish on Sons of Anarchy.

Haha .. god that was terrible season.

 

[Billdo]

Haha .. god that was terrible season.

Def not good.

 

[StevenToddIves]

make sure to delete this post. if any habs fans read this you won't be save anywhere on this planet.

Look, I've been a big booster and supporter of Lane Hutson since his draft eligible season began. But when I see him on lists of the top 10 or 15 prospects outside the NHL overall? I mean, we need to be realistic.

The kid is a special offensive talent, there's no doubt about it. His abilities with the puck are elite level. But for a slight-framed defender under 5'10 who has never particularly excelled on the defensive side of the puck -- well, it's a bit of a stretch to assume he's ever going to be an average defensive presence, much less an above-average one. And although I'd categorize his skating as excellent -- his edges and shiftiness are absolutely outstanding -- he still lacks the elite straightaway speed to compensate for some of his physical limitations and offensive chance-taking. We're not talking a Scott Niedermeyer who can rush the O zone, lose the puck, and still be able to beat a forward who has 5 steps on him back into the defensive zone.

So, ultimately I think what we'll have in Hutson is a offensive generator who will kill it on the PP, but whose minutes will need to be managed at 5x5 -- essentially, not an all-situations first-pairing sort, but still a benefit to his team. I think he'll beat the odds and be an effective offensive D in the NHL despite being probably the smallest D in the NHL.

But to think Hutson will be a superstar #1 defender is a bit of a stretch. With a one-goal lead late in a game, when coaches shorten their benches Hutson likely won't be seeing much ice. So, he's just not ultimately going to be able to achieve the same amount of overall impact as a Mintyukov or Mateychuk in my opinion.

I'd certainly list Hutson in my top 50 prospects outside the NHL, and he was a great pick for where the Canadiens landed him (#62 overall). But the idea we can judge a defenseman's NHL potential simply by the amount of points they accrue in amateur hockey is patently ridiculous. When I've seen Montreal fans say Hutson is better than Luke Hughes? Well, it's borderline absurd -- Hughes matches or eclipses Hutson in literally every offensive tool (I'd say they're equal across the board except shooting, where Hughes is markedly superior), he's a significantly better skater, and his size and strength give him far more defensive potential because, let's face it, Hutson just doesn't have the ability to ever be much of a factor in terms of net front presence or puck battles down low.

In the end, I'm rooting hard for Lane Hutson. I'd repeat with confidence that I think he'll beat the odds and have some 50+ point seasons at the NHL level. I think he'll be a better version of Shayne Gostisbehere or Tony DeAngelo, because he has equivalent offensive ability and is even smarter and more competitive both with and without the puck.

 

[My3Sons]

Look, I've been a big booster and supporter of Lane Hutson since his draft eligible season began. But when I see him on lists of the top 10 or 15 prospects outside the NHL overall? I mean, we need to be realistic.

The kid is a special offensive talent, there's no doubt about it. His abilities with the puck are elite level. But for a slight-framed defender under 5'10 who has never particularly excelled on the defensive side of the puck -- well, it's a bit of a stretch to assume he's ever going to be an average defensive presence, much less an above-average one. And although I'd categorize his skating as excellent -- his edges and shiftiness are absolutely outstanding -- he still lacks the elite straightaway speed to compensate for some of his physical limitations and offensive chance-taking. We're not talking a Scott Niedermeyer who can rush the O zone, lose the puck, and still be able to beat a forward who has 5 steps on him back into the defensive zone.

So, ultimately I think what we'll have in Hutson is a offensive generator who will kill it on the PP, but whose minutes will need to be managed at 5x5 -- essentially, not an all-situations first-pairing sort, but still a benefit to his team. I think he'll beat the odds and be an effective offensive D in the NHL despite being probably the smallest D in the NHL.

But to think Hutson will be a superstar #1 defender is a bit of a stretch. With a one-goal lead late in a game, when coaches shorten their benches Hutson likely won't be seeing much ice. So, he's just not ultimately going to be able to achieve the same amount of overall impact as a Mintyukov or Mateychuk in my opinion.

I'd certainly list Hutson in my top 50 prospects outside the NHL, and he was a great pick for where the Canadiens landed him (#62 overall). But the idea we can judge a defenseman's NHL potential simply by the amount of points they accrue in amateur hockey is patently ridiculous. When I've seen Montreal fans say Hutson is better than Luke Hughes? Well, it's borderline absurd -- Hughes matches or eclipses Hutson in literally every offensive tool (I'd say they're equal across the board except shooting, where Hughes is markedly superior), he's a significantly better skater, and his size and strength give him far more defensive potential because, let's face it, Hutson just doesn't have the ability to ever be much of a factor in terms of net front presence or puck battles down low.

In the end, I'm rooting hard for Lane Hutson. I'd repeat with confidence that I think he'll beat the odds and have some 50+ point seasons at the NHL level. I think he'll be a better version of Shayne Gostisbehere or Tony DeAngelo, because he has equivalent offensive ability and is even smarter and more competitive both with and without the puck.

It’s not surprising some MTL fans would be over exuberant about him. They don’t have much going for the team right now. A couple of good players and some developing defenders but the team seems to be a ways away from competing and even then it’s not likely that Suzuki is the number one center when they are competitive. Hutson is exciting and it’s the hope they are looking for not so much that they really believe it.

 

[Guttersniped]

It’s a love fest! Who drugged everyone?!?



I know you all have my back since no one mentioned that I’m not the best about proofreading before posting.

People quote my posts and it often feels like my grammatical atrocities are being thrown back into my face.

Proofreading is boring tho.

 

[My3Sons]

It’s a love fest! Who drugged everyone?!?



I know you all have my back since no one mentioned that I’m not the best about proofreading before posting.

People quote my posts and it often feels like my grammatical atrocities are being thrown back into my face.

Proofreading is boring tho.

The flaws just give your posts character. You shouldn’t worry about them .

 

[StevenToddIves]

It’s not surprising some MTL fans would be over exuberant about him. They don’t have much going for the team right now. A couple of good players and some developing defenders but the team seems to be a ways away from competing and even then it’s not likely that Suzuki is the number one center when they are competitive. Hutson is exciting and it’s the hope they are looking for not so much that they really believe it.

Despite a very poor 2023 draft, Montreal has a top 10 prospect pool in the NHL right now, maybe top 5 if we're still considering Guhle a prospect. If not, I'd rank it:

1 Slafkovsky
2 Reinbacher
3 Beck
4 Mesar
5 Hutson
6 Farrell
7 Kapanen
8 Roy
9 Kidney
10 Mailloux

That's really impressive. Slafkovsky and Reinbacher are both top 20 prospects to me, and I'd rank the entire top 5 in my top 50. Their top 8 are probably all in my top 100. There's a bit of a drop-off in depth, but I think they have a couple other kids with big potential who could still hit, like Rohrer and Mysak.

 

[My3Sons]

Despite a very poor 2023 draft, Montreal has a top 10 prospect pool in the NHL right now, maybe top 5 if we're still considering Guhle a prospect. If not, I'd rank it:

1 Slafkovsky
2 Reinbacher
3 Beck
4 Mesar
5 Hutson
6 Farrell
7 Kapanen
8 Roy
9 Kidney
10 Mailloux

That's really impressive. Slafkovsky and Reinbacher are both top 20 prospects to me, and I'd rank the entire top 5 in my top 50. Their top 8 are probably all in my top 100. There's a bit of a drop-off in depth, but I think they have a couple other kids with big potential who could still hit, like Rohrer and Mysak.

Yet they’d trade all of those guys for Jack Hughes. I’m sure a number of those guys hit but they are likely two or three years away. Even then it’s hard to see them having a core as good as NJ has developed. In a place like Montreal where the team dominates so much of the sports media it has to be maddening to wait for the team to cycle back into competitiveness

 

[Saugus]

Came for the Casey updates, stayed for the oddly interesting banter.

“Oddly interesting banter” might as well be the HF Devils board motto.

 

[Brent Burns Beard]

“Oddly interesting banter” might as well be the HF Devils board motto.

Every time I log back into HF, there is a notification from this thread.

Thanks to @StevenToddIves for his detailed analysis. The rest of you I have no idea what’s going on but I have read it all!

 

[Brent Burns Beard]

By the way, I’m super excited about this prospect since I traded up from 39 to 28 to draft him over Hutson.

Also I walked right by him when he was leaving day 2 in Montreal, he was wearing a NJD jersey and had nobody with him. Thought that was odd.

What’s this talk about him playing C? Is this for real or just nonsense.