The New Jersey Devils are going to be looking at the biggest names on the trade market this season. This isn’t just for a goalie, which they will be targeting. The Devils will be in on names that come out as they do their best to erase what was an awful 2023-24 season. However, to get a star it’s going to cost a ton. 

So, Devils fans, get ready to see a lot of Simon Nemec in trade proposals. We’re not saying this is even being requested by other teams, and it’s definitely not being offered by Tom Fitzgerald, but just about every mock trade including a star will also include the former Devils number-two overall pick. 

We’ve already talked about it in terms of Brady Tkachuk. The Ottawa Senators captain is going to need a massive haul to get, and Nemec would likely be the haul. The Sens could use another superstar defensive prospect to play alongside Jake Sanderson. However, this isn’t happening. 

Now, we’re going to hear about it when it comes to Mitch Marner. We’ve already seen some desperate Toronto Maple Leafs fans “offering” Marner’s services for the simple price of Nemec, Alexander Holtz, Nolan Foote, and two draft picks. Thanks? Marner is a great player who would help the Devils, but that contract and the fact that he plays wing does not help his value and definitely doesn’t get Toronto Nemec and more. 

Honestly, the Devils shouldn’t trade Nemec for anything. What this team needs is a good goalie, and there is no goalie worth a defenseman as talented as Nemec who is still on his entry-level contract. He will be key in the short term in helping the cap and in the long term in giving the Devils consistent defensive play.

There is no available star worth Nemec at the moment. We would love to have Tkachuk on the Devils, but losing Nemec just causes an even bigger hole when a winger isn’t the need here. Same goes for Marner. If another superduper star becomes available, then this conversation could change. However, for now, there’s no one available the Devils should even consider trading Nemec for. 

A New Jersey food pantry’s future is uncertain as it looks for a new home, so it can continue to feed residents of Monmouth County – a need that has increased in recent years.

Leaders hope the Bradley Food Pantry can find a new home either before or after May 17, when it is expected to leave its current space at the St. James Episcopal Church on 4th Avenue in Bradley Beach. The pantry has spent 40 years at the church, said Linda Curtiss, its executive director.

That anticipated shutdown comes while the all-volunteer pantry said it has been overwhelmed with public demand, one that grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, when millions of Americans were left to navigate social distancing protocols that limited the U.S. economy, forcing many out of work.

An email to the church from NJ Advance Media for comment was not immediately returned.

With rising consumer prices coupled with inflation, about 500 families have weekly relied upon the pantry to stave off hunger, according to its website.

In 2023, the pantry had 2,753 distinct families visiting for goods, leading the volunteers to shell out more than 850,000 pounds of food, according to the pantry.

“Thousands of families were disadvantaged because of this, but we cannot continue to offer food and hospitality at the current location,” Curtis said in a statement.

The pantry’s leaders have been at odds with the church, saying both have “differing viewpoints” without elaborating. Those differences led the pantry to begin searching for a new space to distribute meals since last August, the pantry said. It has already weighed over 100 locations without making a final decision.

The pantry needs about a 2,000-square-foot space, but finding one under needed zoning laws has been daunting, its leaders say.

In its last weeks at the church, the pantry will operate under an altered schedule – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. But, the limited schedule has placed an unprecedented challenge on the pantry’s ability to serve the community, Curtis said.

The executive director said that despite recent hurdles, she and her team are striving to make the looming closure only temporary.

“The Bradley Food Pantry will not rest until we find a location where we can come back better and stronger than before, ready to help families in need once again,” Curtis said.

According to the Powerball website, a player in the Garden State won the $1 million prize, along with someone in Georgia, in the Saturday, April 27 Powerball drawing.

The winners matched all five numbers drawn. The winning numbers were 9, 30, 53, 55, and 62. The red Power Ball drawn was 23.

Lottery officials are expected to announce where the tickets were sold this week.

The jackpot rolls to $164 million in the next drawing, held on Monday, April 29.

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