2013 New Jersey Devils (Team/Player Discussion)-Offseason FA and trade talk Part XII

[Captain Lou]

im 99% certain you wont get him for that

Oh well. Let him find another team willing to give him that (if we are even offering that much).

 

[Devils Trap]

Make up your mind.

Indecision

 

[manilaNJ]

Make up your mind.

It's not exactly one or the other.
Lou is clearly in the lesser position here. Can't deny that.
The other teams he'd be talking to would not be in the position that the Devils are in.

That's leverage that his agent has to use if he's any good at his job.

 

[goon5516]

3 years 10 mill. Get it done Lou

 

[CerebralGenesis]

We sign brunner? What are you kids arguing about?

 

[Devils Trap]

We sign brunner? What are you kids arguing about?

Reportedly close to signing him

 

[SeidoN]

We sign brunner? What are you kids arguing about?

Apparently we are very interested. We seem to be arguing about the appropriate terms and who is in a weaker negotiating position out if Lou and Brunner lol

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Brunner?

runner is right in his name - where is he from?

 

[britdevil]

Brunner?

runner is right in his name - where is he from?

The boiler room.

 

[Devils Trap]

Apparently we are very interested. We seem to be arguing about the appropriate terms and who is in a weaker negotiating position out if Lou and Brunner lol

I think its pretty even. Brunner is still looking for a job while we are looking for a forward

 

[SeidoN]

I think its pretty even. Brunner is still looking for a job while we are looking for a forward

Im still very surprised Brunner hasnt already been taken somewhere. But if it means we get him im not complaining.

 

[Status Quo*]

If Brunner does sign here, maybe he should take 15 so people with Langenbrunner jerseys only have to strip the Langen part. Yeah, it would look would with just brunner but YOLO

 

[manilaNJ]

I think its pretty even. Brunner is still looking for a job while we are looking for a forward

I don't want to waste too much more time on this, but 29 other GMs out there didn't just have Kovy, Clarkson and Parise walk out on them for nothing.

Brunner's still looking for a job, but we just got publicly gutted.
Brunner can take his sweet time and just take the best available offer at summer's end.

He can afford to wait it out for a bit, and he has other options. Our options are.... ?

We are very, clearly, desperately, in need of a forward with a prospect pool that is unanimously known as quite shallow and comfortable cap room to work with.

I just can't see us on even footing with all of this front and center about our organization right now.

edit - and to clarify, I don't think we're going to get bent over here. But I just don't see us coming out of this situation with both Brunner and a contract that isn't $1mil/1 yr more than he 'deserves'

 

[Richer's Ghost]

The boiler room.

underrated movie.

 

[Blender]

I don't want to waste too much more time on this, but 29 other GMs out there didn't just have Kovy, Clarkson and Parise walk out on them for nothing.

Brunner's still looking for a job, but we just got publicly gutted.
Brunner can take his sweet time and just take the best available offer at summer's end.

He can afford to wait it out for a bit, and he has other options. Our options are.... ?

We are very, clearly, desperately, in need of a forward with a prospect pool that is unanimously known as quite shallow and comfortable cap room to work with.

I just can't see us on even footing with all of this front and center about our organization right now.

Possibly not, but you have to remember most players aren't just looking for money, but the right situation to play in. We just lost our first line winger, Brunner would see this team having a hole in the top 6 and for him to have a big opportunity to play there. If the money is in his asking price, I don't see why he wouldn't take it. Afterall how many other teams are offering that top 6 role right now?

 

[CerebralGenesis]

he can take his time and we can continue looking then.

there is a reason he is still not signed and a team like detroit let him go UFA. Don't overpay.

 

[hlaverty06]

he can take his time and we can continue looking then.

there is a reason he is still not signed and a team like detroit let him go UFA. Don't overpay.

It they signed Alfie and only hae 2.3 in cap room ..... And two RFA in Nyquist and Andersson

 

[manilaNJ]

Possibly not, but you have to remember most players aren't just looking for money, but the right situation to play in. We just lost our first line winger, Brunner would see this team having a hole in the top 6 and for him to have a big opportunity to play there. If the money is in his asking price, I don't see why he wouldn't take it. Afterall how many other teams are offering that top 6 role right now?

How much more of a discount does that net us? That's the question. I can see that as a driving point for him to come here, for sure. I just don't see that bringing down the price tag/term demands too much.

he can take his time and we can continue looking then.

there is a reason he is still not signed and a team like detroit let him go UFA. Don't overpay.

For who, though? How much can we realistically get Grabo/Jagr for?
Grabo still thinks he's a $5.5 guy. Jagr's going to go where the biggest paycheck is.

That leaves us with Mason Raymond, who is 27 and last contract was $2.27
What kind of term/$ is he looking for? He'd probably be the best bet out of everything left.

 

[manilaNJ]

And to sum it up: I think 3.5x4 is what he's going to ask for and probably what he's going to get.

I think the years are more than he warrants, but I think that's going to be the deal breaker. Could be wrong... that's just how I see this playing out.

 

[Zubrus Coffee Maker]

i would love Brunner, he'll probably fill the role Sykora had when he left last year. we need a shoot first guy like him with a great shot, i think he'd be a great sign

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

And to sum it up: I think 3.5x4 is what he's going to ask for and probably what he's going to get.

I think the years are more than he warrants, but I think that's going to be the deal breaker. Could be wrong... that's just how I see this playing out.

if he becomes a 20-25 goal 50 point player the deal would be fantastic then..thats the way FA works. Clowe was a huge risk and Lou signed him to a 5 year deal. 3.5 is not even that much really.

 

[Nemec]

Is this guy going to be like Bobby Butler?

I see that performance as the floor. Unfortunately, we don't have a large sample size to indicate his ceiling.

 

[longislanddevil]

Sounds like Brunner would be a nice addition but he is still somewhat NHL unproven. I do prefer a 27 year old with a higher ceiling than an old Jagr though.

The lingering fact remains that we still lost arguably 2 of the best 10 forwards in the league the past 2 seasons. Lots of bandaids to these wounds but we need to ultimately replace at least one of these two players with a superstar. These kind of players don't grow on trees.

I've looked at the free agent list for next year and it won't get too many people excited short of Thomas Vanek. This guy is an elite offensive talent and absolute superstar. The obvious conundrum is the Sabres are going to be asking for a king's ransom right now, reportedly starting with Henrique as the centerpiece of a deal. Our prospect pool isn't terribly deep outside of our handful of D prospects. If anything we need to replenish our pipeline of young players and nor deal from it.

And if we don't pull the trigger on a blockbuster? I don't see things through rose colored glasses and without Kovalchuk (reference last year without him), this offense is going to struggle and there is a distinct chance we miss the playoffs. But we don't have a first round pick!!'

Of course there are no guarantees that you can even sign a Vanek in free agency no matter how much dollar you throw at him.

So what to do??!

 

[apice3*]

I wouldn't go that far, but Butler is a frightening comparison.

 

[manilaNJ]

if he becomes a 20-25 goal 50 point player the deal would be fantastic then..thats the way FA works. Clowe was a huge risk and Lou signed him to a 5 year deal. 3.5 is not even that much really.

Don't get me wrong, I'll be overall happy with a signing like that.
3.5 isn't the sticking point to me considering how this year was all over the board with UFA prices.

The 4 years bothers me, as I'd prefer 2, but not enough to the point that I'll dislike a signing like that at all.