New Jersey
Should New Jersey Devils Sell High On Seamus Casey?
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.
New Jersey
Garden State Equality director resigns amid child endangerment, assault charges
Christian Fuscarino resigned Tuesday as executive director of Garden State Equality amid charges of child endangerment and assault after an incident last month with a child in his Neptune City home.
“I resigned from Garden State Equality to ensure that the organization’s work is not impacted by a private family matter,” Fuscarino, a nationally recognized advocate for LGBTQ+ rights, said in a statement on social media.
“While my loved ones and I have been working through this moment together with care and love, the press has turned a deeply personal situation into a public headline,” Fuscarino said.
“Everyone involved is safe and navigating this situation responsibly,” he added.
Fuscarino asked that the matter “be seen for what it is: a private family moment, not a public spectacle.”
Fuscarino, 35, is charged with second-degree endangering the welfare of a child by a caretaker and two counts of simple assault, according to court documents.
An affidavit of probable cause alleges Fuscarino pulled the child from bed about 8 p.m. on Nov. 9 and struck the victim multiple times in the face with an open hand, pushing the child into a wall during the encounter.
The incident was captured on a home security video system, according to the affidavit.
The child was later taken to the Monmouth County Child Advocacy Center in Freehold for a forensic interview. The child made no disclosure of physical abuse, the affidavit states.
However, another person living in the home told investigators they witnessed Fuscarino strike the child and intervened.
The state Division of Child Protection and Permanency obtained the video and notified the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office on Nov. 20.
A Neptune City police detective arrested Fuscarino on Nov. 21. The case has since been referred to the prosecutor’s office, court records show.
In a statement Tuesday, Garden State Equality said they had placed Fuscarino on leave after learning of the charges.
By Wednesday, Fuscarino’s bio on the Garden State Equality website had been removed.
“Garden State Equality takes allegations against our staff seriously and we oppose violence of any kind,” the agency said. “We respect the courts and will allow that process to be handled by them.”
Fuscarino had served since 2016 as the executive director of Garden State Equality, the largest LGBTQ+ organization in New Jersey, which is based in Asbury Park.
With 20 years of experience in LGBTQ+ advocacy, Fuscarino had been at the forefront of efforts to protect transgender rights, combat hate violence, and implement groundbreaking healthcare and education policies.
In a July 2018 story posted to NJ.com, Fuscarino said he wanted to dedicate his life to helping New Jersey’s LGBTQ+ community so that others would not have to suffer the indignities that he endured in adolescence.
New Jersey
10 hospitalized, including some students, after crash involving school bus in New Jersey
MOORESTOWN, N.J. (WPVI) — Ten people, including several students, were hospitalized Tuesday after a school bus crash in Burlington County, New Jersey.
The collision happened around 3 p.m. at Borton Landing and Hartford roads in Moorestown.
Township officials said in a Facebook post that a car and school bus collided at the intersection, injuring six students, the bus driver and three occupants of the passenger vehicle. All injuries appear to be minor, officials said.
“We have been made aware of a bus accident on one of our routes. There are no significant injuries for our students,” Moorestown Township Public Schools said in a statement.
The remaining students on the bus were taken to a nearby school, where they were picked up by family members.
School counselors will be available this week to provide additional support to students.
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
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New Jersey
Wrong-way driver charged in I-80 crash that injured N.J. State Police trooper
An alleged drunk, wrong-way driver was arrested following a crash on Interstate 80 in Warren County, officials said.
Robert Felegi was driving a pickup truck west in the eastbound lanes in Knowlton when he crashed head-on into a New Jersey State Trooper’s vehicle near milepost 1.4 around midnight Tuesday, State Police said.
The trooper had emergency lights and sirens activated while trying to alert motorists of a hazard ahead, authorities said.
The trooper suffered minor injuries, while Felegi was not hurt.
Felegi, 67, of Middleport, Pennsylvania, was charged with assault by auto and driving under the influence.
He was brought to the Warren County jail ahead of a detention hearing. An attorney for Felegi is not listed in court records.
investigation, and no additional information is available.
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