The New Jersey Devils are preparing to play their second preseason game on Tuesday night, hosting the New York Islanders.
While some players like forwards Arseny Gritsyuk, Brian Halonen, and defenseman Ethan Edwards will get a second game of action, 21-year-old Seamus Casey remains out of the preseason lineup.
During his pregame media availability, head coach Sheldon Keefe shed some light on Casey's status.
"He was supposed to play on Sunday (against the Rangers)," he said. "He tweaked something in that practice Saturday. He's doing a lot better. I just felt giving him a couple more days would be the smart thing to do. I would expect to see him Friday if he continues on the path that he is here now."
Casey is entering his second professional season, having played 14 games in the NHL and 30 games in the American Hockey League (AHL). He will be one of a handful of players competing for a spot on the Devils' blue line, as Johnathan Kovacevic will miss an extended period of time and is out indefinitely.
"I was happy with last year, but that's last year," Casey shared on Monday. "You want to build on it and get better. It doesn't matter what you did the year before; you have to get better. If I played the way I did before, that is not really good enough. You have to keep getting better and better."
Casey practiced with the non-game group on Tuesday afternoon, and if all goes to plan, he will play at UBS Arena on Friday night when the Devils take on the Islanders at 7:00 p.m.
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