The New Jersey Devils have announced that they have signed defenseman Seamus Casey to a three-year entry-level contract and goaltender Jakub Malek to a two-year entry-level deal; the Devils drafted both players as Casey was the Devils second-round pick in 2022, and Malek was selected in the fourth round by New Jersey the year prior. Casey spent the last two years at the University of Michigan, putting up 15 goals and 59 assists for 74 points in 77 games with the Wolverines. The 20-year-old defenseman led all defensemen with six assists in six games in this year’s U20 World Championships as the United States would go on to win the Gold Medal; he won the Silver Medal with the U18 team back in 2022. It has not yet been announced if Casey will join the Devils next season or return to Michigan for his junior year.
Malek joins an already crowded group of young goaltenders in the New Jersey Devils organization. This group includes Nico Daws, Akira Schmid, Tyler Brennan, and Isaac Poulter, all of whom are on entry-level deals. The 22-year-old goaltender has spent the last two seasons playing in Liiga in Finland. In 49 games, he’s put up a 25-11-9 record with a 2.80 GAA, .912SV%, and one shutout. Malek still has one year on his deal with llves in Finland. It wouldn’t be a bad idea for the Devils to let him finish off his contract in Finland until the Devils can make some room for him in their organization. Kaapo Kahkonen, Nico Daws, and Akira Schmid all have contracts that expire at the end of the 2024-25 season.
