The New Jersey Devils are spending Friday night celebrating a tough win against the Chicago Blackhawks, but their celebration pales in comparison to what top prospect Seamus Casey is doing. He helped Team USA hockey win the World Junior Championship against host Sweden on Friday afternoon. He was a main cog in one of the most talented U.S. hockey teams in World Juniors history.

Casey’s stock has rocketed since the tournament started. Devils fans even consider him an untouchable asset. While he was loved for his impact on the University of Michigan, the former second-round pick has never had value this high.

Before this season, Casey was usually a footnote when talking about the Devils prospects. Luke Hughes and Simon Nemec, two former top-five picks, dominated the preseason headlines. For good reason. They are both making massive contributions to the NHL team. Alexander Holtz is another prospect who graduated. This opened the door for players like Arseni Gritzyuk, Lenni Hameenaho, and Seamus Casey to grab headlines.

Casey’s value has never been higher than it is right now. Not only did he have a good tournament in Gothenberg, but he’s been dynamic at Michigan. He has 23 points in 18 games, which is even better averages than he had last year.

Casey didn’t have the greatest gold medal game, finishing with a penalty and no points in USA’s 6-2 win, but he had a great tournament otherwise. His name was mentioned multiple times, and most analysts were floored he was in the Devils system despite the team graduating so many great prospects over the last few years.

With so much talk, it might be time to deploy Casey as an asset. One major reason is because of his path to the NHL. Let’s use Reilly Walsh as a test case. He was a dynamic prospect who signed with the Devils during the pandemic. His value was high when he joined the Utica Comets. It probably grew after one season. At that point, it would make sense to trade him. The Devils had prospects ahead of him in terms of NHL opportunities, and he had hit his peak in terms of value. Instead, the Devils sat on the asset and eventually traded him for Shane Bowers.

The Devils are pretty stacked on the right side. Obviously, Nemec is the man who is expected to be the top guy for years to come. John Marino is signed through 2027. Kevin Bahl and Luke Hughes on the left side make this a very young defense. Would the Devils be willing to give another young defenseman a starting spot in their contention window?

Casey is incredibly valuable, and teams will want him. The Devils are working the phones, and we imagine Casey is a part of every conversation. Does this put the Devils in a position of strength in these talks? Everyone wants young defensive prospects. The Devils prospect pool, even after losing Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotyuk in the Timo Meier trade, is still stacked with defensemen. While none have the upside of Casey, Chase Cheslock, Daniil Karpovich, Daniil Orlov, and Topias Vilen deserve time to develop.

At this point, this question is answered pretty simply. If the deal makes sense, make it. Don’t trade Casey because you can. Trade him because it makes you better. This needs to be a deal for a star for Tom Fitzgerald to pull the trigger. Don’t do it for a middling goalie or bottom-pairing defenseman. Casey must be the centerpiece to a star-level trade, or wait until the offseason when his value will still be very high.