Confirmed with Link: Arbitration Avoided, Bratt Signs for 1 year, $5.45 million

[Bleedred]

It’s crazy how we are a cap team

The crazier part is that it'll be about $11 million between an injured goalie, another injured/shitty goalie and a probably injured guy in Miles Wood.

 

[NJ Devil]

Eh, I still think this is more of him wanting a deal closer to UFA than anything else. Next year if they offer him a 8 year deal it'll be buying more UFA years at a higher clip.

Which is even more reason for Bratt to ask for even less term

Theres no getting through to the 'he is buying time for a 6-8 years deal at his dollars' crowd. They clearly havent a clue about how past cases have gone nor do they acknowledge this has been a Bratt issue since his first negotiation where he was a middling player.

 

[britdevil]

GM speak for “I love me some Bratt but his agent is the worst”

No it's all TF's fault. He lowballed our unicorn.

 

[Hockey Sports Fan]

sorry, *you. I’m only like 45ish.

 

[Emperoreddy]

Going to free agency sooner is about maximizing his career earnings. He doesn't have some team he grew up wearing their pajamas of.

If they offer him a deal next summer that matches their expectations on what he would get as a UFA he will resign.

 

[Stephen Gionta]

It’s crazy how we are a cap team

Well, we have $12,025,000 tied up in Tatar, Johnsson, and Bernier who will all not be here next season.

Then another $9,708,333 tied up in Haula, Graves, and Severson who will likely be replaced by Haula or someone else on a cheaper contract, Luke Hughes (ELC), and Simon Nemec (ELC) next year.

That's a total of $21,733,333 being freed up at the conclusion of this season. Siegenthaler's raise will take affect, Sharangovich will be due a raise, Bratt will be due a raise, and then Zetterlund, Gritsyuk, Holtz, Nemec, L. Hughes, and others will step up to fill the holes that are left by all the expiring contracts.

Devils are in a great place cap wise. (Though the Palat and Hamilton deals could prove to be anchor contracts in a few years)

 

[britdevil]

Going to free agency sooner is about maximizing his career earnings. He doesn't have some team he grew up wearing their pajamas of.

If they offer him a deal next summer that matches their expectations on what he would get as a UFA he will resign.

He might actually. Sweden has a big community of NHL fans.

f***, he could be dreaming of playing in LA or frickin' Edmonton for all we know.

 

[Wolf Stansson 30]

I think it's a smart deal from the Devils management side. I echo exactly what Bryce tweeted. It's a "show me you can do it again" contract. And he still ends up an RFA at the end of it. It's not a great way to show you are confident in a player and believe they are part of your future, though.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

the "show me you can do it again" stuff is nonsense, though...considering they extended both Hughes and Hischier before either of them had any seasons even close to what Bratt just had.

 

[Maine Fan]

Obviously a positive he won’t be UFA but this is probably going to happen again next offseason, he needs a new agent asap

He didn't do bad except for years. He believes in himself and expects to improve, and his improvement will drive next season's $$$ up. His agent did a good job for him if the long term goal is to max dollars. The gamble is not having a bad season.

 

[Wolf Stansson 30]

the "show me you can do it again" stuff is nonsense, though...considering they extended both Hughes and Hischier before either of them had any seasons even close to what Bratt just had.

Yea I completely agree. That's why I think it's not a good sign of confidence from management in Bratt and that he is part of the future. If they did think that, they would have given him probably 6x6

 

[britdevil]

the "show me you can do it again" stuff is nonsense, though...considering they extended both Hughes and Hischier before either of them had any seasons even close to what Bratt just had.

Come on... Hughes and Hischier were first overall picks and the literal faces of this franchise...

Bratt has ONE season of 1st line production. In a historically high scoring year.

I really hate downplaying Bratt, he was superb. But he doesn't have the pedigree of the Hughes or Hischier.

 

[Zippy316]

No team is allowing Bratt or any player to take them to the edge of UFA just so they can improve earnings

Are we suggesting to let Bratt walk all over us until arbitration day next year, until we cave at his maximum demand?

Fitzgerald isnt about to let a guy known for hard negotiations make it that far. Either Bratt will come down on his offer mid-season or he will be moved prior to the deadline. The Devils arent about to lose him for nothing and be forced into another 1-year arbitration deal (which is possible since itd have to be team-elected, Bratt wouldnt elect again and cant)

Im really not sure why everyones siding with Bratt here. It was PLAYER-ELECTED arbitration. This is more about what he wants than what we offered.

If Bratt isn’t willing to commit long term, then you trade him next off-season to a team that will meet his demands and he wants to commit to. Same thing Wild did with Fiala (although there’s was more complicated due to their cap recapture penalty).

All things considered, it didn’t make sense for both sides to commit long-term this off-season. Curious to see if it comes out what Bratt was looking for. A big tell would be whether he wanted more money long-term than the Devils would be willing to commit or if he wanted a shorter term to UFA to maximize his earnings.

If it’s a matter off money, I could see the Devils being reluctant to go up somewhere close to 8x8 after one good season. If Bratt has back-to-back PPG seasons, then the Devils can probably justify that next summer. This summer it’s a big stretch.

 

[Maine Fan]

Change his name to JOKE'im.

That's what he is.

Did his agent do something wrong in this deal?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Come on... Hughes and Hischier were first overall picks and the literal faces of this franchise...

and this goes back to what @Triumph mentioned earlier....high picks will always be paid more than late round picks on average, regardless of what the statistics bear out or what each guy deserves.

Now I am not saying that Hughes and Hischier don't deserve what they got or won't live up to it, but if I am Bratt's agent, that is the argument I am making (and I am sure that he probably did so)

 

[britdevil]

Yea I completely agree. That's why I think it's not a good sign of confidence from management in Bratt and that he is part of the future. If they did think that, they would have given him probably 6x6

No way he was signing that offer. I actually feel the Devils had a better offer on the table than that. Bratt elected for arbitration, not the club.

Every indication was made that he is considered part of the core and that they want him here long term.

 

[PizzaAndPucks]

If Bratt regressed to say a 60 point player than some teams might lose interest...

 

[NJDevs26]

the "show me you can do it again" stuff is nonsense, though...considering they extended both Hughes and Hischier before either of them had any seasons even close to what Bratt just had.

I guess it only applies if you're not a #1 overall pick

 

[My3Sons]

Please don't say copium around here we're all like 50 years old

Those old timers are the bane of my existence. Guys that old with their hiked up cargo shorts and their crocs make young people like me sick.

 

[Emperoreddy]

the "show me you can do it again" stuff is nonsense, though...considering they extended both Hughes and Hischier before either of them had any seasons even close to what Bratt just had.

It's meaningless. This isn't what the team wanted, they wanted him locked up long term at a dollar amount they felt comfortable with.

 

[Emperoreddy]

I guess it only applies if you're not a #1 overall pick

There is some truth to this though. Draft pedigree plays a part in contracts and trade value.

 

[MachoDiablo]

We got people all upset about this? They avoided arbitration, they've got more time to try and work something out, we'll see if he wants to stick around or not and respond appropriately. Would much rather see Bratt signed long term, but take things as they come.

 

[Maine Fan]

They didn't get to arbitration. I saw a number that of 27 that went to arbitration 20 were with a new team as soon as their contract ended. So if this is true, Bratt didn't hear the bad stuff put together by the Devils for the arbitration. Brett has said be wanted to remain with the Devils.

I am not going to worry about him, I will worry about Blackwood.

 

[ZachaFlockaFlame]

the "show me you can do it again" stuff is nonsense, though...considering they extended both Hughes and Hischier before either of them had any seasons even close to what Bratt just had.

Hischier being a 50 point 1C on a bubble playoff team at 18 years old is arguably more impressive than Bratt's season this year.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Hischier being a 50 point 1C on a bubble playoff team at 18 years old is arguably more impressive than Bratt's season this year.

I completely disagree

and I hate that we're even discussing this tbh because I love Nico