Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - 2022-23 season thread part III

[NJDevs26]

People are really gonna spend months crying about Bratt negotiations and then when the tweet hits that it's signed they're just gonna be like oh ok

You're pretty confident considering there's no real indication Bratt wants to take a hometown discount at this point after two protracted negotiations. If he did he would have signed long-term already. So either he wants his pound of flesh or he wants out of here/to get to FA period. Maybe he'll get the pound of flesh in January or shortly after but if not...

And if people want to buy that fantasy about the Devils and Bratt agreeing to a deal but just holding off for cap purposes, Fitz might win an Oscar for acting cause he comes off pretty exasperated every time the negotiations get brought up.

 

[Guadana]

This is a few days old, did we already talk about it? Anyway, tough to see a former poster here fall from grace. Lol, rest in piss.

Would be fun if Brattpack will be canceled because of that.

 

[devilsrutgersfan]

You're pretty confident considering there's no real indication Bratt wants to take a hometown discount at this point after two protracted negotiations. If he did he would have signed long-term already. So either he wants his pound of flesh or he wants out of here/to get to FA period. Maybe he'll get the pound of flesh in January or shortly after but if not...

And if people want to buy that fantasy about the Devils and Bratt agreeing to a deal but just holding off for cap purposes, Fitz might win an Oscar for acting cause he comes off pretty exasperated every time the negotiations get brought up.

I do agree with you to a certain point, but we know that the offer he received this past summer was something in the $6.7-$6.9 range. There was no way he was going to accept that. Had the Devils offered him $7.5-$8 and he rejected it, I would be more concerned. I believe he is looking for something in the low $9 range. I think Fitz ideal contract is $8-$8.25 (8 years obviously). The real battle will be that $1.-1.2 million in difference. Both sides will have to give up on what they want for this to work. My only fear (and I would be really mad if this happened) is that Fitz doesn't want to pay above $8m, because Jack is making $8m per year. There shouldn't be some arbitrary cap because of another player on the team. I think its fair for Bratt to at least get what Hintz got in Dallas, and I would even be ok with $9x8.

 

[Billdo]

I do agree with you to a certain point, but we know that the offer he received this past summer was something in the $6.7-$6.9 range. There was no way he was going to accept that. Had the Devils offered him $7.5-$8 and he rejected it, I would be more concerned. I believe he is looking for something in the low $9 range. I think Fitz ideal contract is $8-$8.25 (8 years obviously). The real battle will be that $1.-1.2 million in difference. Both sides will have to give up on what they want for this to work. My only fear (and I would be really mad if this happened) is that Fitz doesn't want to pay above $8m, because Jack is making $8m per year. There shouldn't be some arbitrary cap because of another player on the team. I think its fair for Bratt to at least get what Hintz got in Dallas, and I would even be ok with $9x8.

Where did that number come from in your first sentence?

 

[Better Call Sal]

These two together are just too goddamn wholesome.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

These two together are just too goddamn wholesome.

So goofy, love it.

Stupid sexy RR jerseys are growing on me. I’m going to go whip myself. Forty lashes, one for each year of the Devils existence.

 

[NjDevsRR]

LOL they couldn’t wait to tell the world all the games they were wearing the black jerseys last year but they make the reverse retro games a state secret this year

@Satans Hockey

 

[devilsrutgersfan]

Where did that number come from in your first sentence?

Julie Robenhymer reported it a few weeks ago. It wasn't explicitly stated that it was that dollar amount, but it was stated that it was more than what he is making now, but less than that of other top players on this team (so you can ballpark it to high $6 low $7). There have been other people (don't remember who) who have stated the same thing. Term was 8 years and that wasn't the issue, it was simply that the two sides were vastly apart on the dollar amount (I'm assuming Bratt's camp wanted minimum of $8-$8.5m AAV).

Anybody who thinks Bratt will sign for $8 (or even slightly less) is living in fantasy land. It will be a MINIMUM of $8.5-$8.75 and that will be after some tough negotiations.

 

[SKNJD9]

My gut tells me Bratt's negotiations won't go well and he'll be traded before the draft.

I've been wrong before an hope I am again

 

[Eggtimer]

Want like hell to extend Bratt . Reasonable offer to me is the Hintz deal. Shouldn’t be much more than that , if any at all .
If it’s substantially higher than that .. not sure what to think . We almost have to do it but it will leave a little bit if a sour taste in my mouth about Bratt if he refuses to sign for anything under say 9.5 mil .
Worst case scenario - we have to trade him . We would get a good piece(s) in return but we “lose” ANY trade for Bratt . It would massively suck but if trying to look at a very shitty situation in a positive way .. we at least get something and don’t lose him for nothing like Parise and Kovy.
Let me clarify by saying no way in hell do I want to lose Bratt . Just that if we have to , at least we get something still

 

[NjDevsRR]

Yeah. That Bratt pack guy/gal/thing is really cringe.

 

[Camille the Eel]

I do agree with you to a certain point, but we know that the offer he received this past summer was something in the $6.7-$6.9 range. There was no way he was going to accept that. Had the Devils offered him $7.5-$8 and he rejected it, I would be more concerned. I believe he is looking for something in the low $9 range. I think Fitz ideal contract is $8-$8.25 (8 years obviously). The real battle will be that $1.-1.2 million in difference. Both sides will have to give up on what they want for this to work. My only fear (and I would be really mad if this happened) is that Fitz doesn't want to pay above $8m, because Jack is making $8m per year. There shouldn't be some arbitrary cap because of another player on the team. I think its fair for Bratt to at least get what Hintz got in Dallas, and I would even be ok with $9x8.

We can also obviously compromise on term with him, offer him more money to extend but for less time. I think we are in a cup run window starting now, he's arbitration eligible again next year and thus under our thumb for one more season, and if we could secure him for say even three more years after that (that is, extend him for four seasons), I would think the team may be willing to pay a premium for that. Having him now and for four more years would make him part of our core group to chase the cup. He is part of the core right now and without him we wouldn't be nearly the same. Keep him here for the period we are talking about - IF WE CAN AFFORD IT (because I don't know what he does to our cap) - and we not only have this year's playoffs but absorb Luke and Nemec and god knows who else and have a sweet run at Lord Stanley's Cup of a nice range of years.

 

[devilsrutgersfan]

We can also obviously compromise on term with him, offer him more money to extend but for less time. I think we are in a cup run window starting now, he's arbitration eligible again next year and thus under our thumb for one more season, and if we could secure him for say even three more years after that (that is, extend him for four seasons), I would think the team may be willing to pay a premium for that. Having him now and for four more years would make him part of our core group to chase the cup. He is part of the core right now and without him we wouldn't be nearly the same. Keep him here for the period we are talking about - IF WE CAN AFFORD IT (because I don't know what he does to our cap) - and we not only have this year's playoffs but absorb Luke and Nemec and god knows who else and have a sweet run at Lord Stanley's Cup of a nice range of years.

I can confidently tell you that term is NOT the issue, and the Devils tried offering shorter term deals last summer (probably with higher AAV) which Bratt rejected. Thus it will need to be an 8 year deal.

 

[devilsrutgersfan]

My gut tells me Bratt's negotiations won't go well and he'll be traded before the draft.

I've been wrong before an hope I am again

It all really depends on how much both parties are willing to compromise to make this work. If Fitz is set on $8m, he will not be able to sign Bratt, and if Bratt wants $9.5 and doesn't want to budge on that, then it won't work as well. Both parties need to give and take. I personally will find it comical that $1-$1.5m in AAV is what can make or break this. If it was $3m in AAV difference, that is one thing, but $1m can and MUST be negotiated by both parties to make this work.

 

[R8Devs]

It all really depends on how much both parties are willing to compromise to make this work. If Fitz is set on $8m, he will not be able to sign Bratt, and if Bratt wants $9.5 and doesn't want to budge on that, then it won't work as well. Both parties need to give and take. I personally will find it comical that $1-$1.5m in AAV is what can make or break this. If it was $3m in AAV difference, that is one thing, but $1m can and MUST be negotiated by both parties to make this work.

Yeah I feel like if they both agree on the term (8 years) this shouldn't be that hard to close the gap on. Meeting in the middle of 9.5m and 8m would basically be a bit less than Bratt's AAV this year + Johnsson's AAV.
Hopefully Hintz's contract will help them speed up the process once it gets to January.

Fiala's trade brought back a 1st + a good defenseman prospect (and he signed long term right away), which is what you could probably expect in a deal for Bratt one year from UFA and there's no way that's worth whatever gap Fitz and Bratt's agents have about the AAV. It would drastically lower the ceiling on the Devils' current team (right when all the young guys are in their prime/starting their prime). So yeah hopefully they can find a spot between the two on a long term deal.

 

[devilsrutgersfan]

Yeah I feel like if they both agree on the term (8 years) this shouldn't be that hard to close the gap on. Meeting in the middle of 9.5m and 8m would basically be a bit less than Bratt's AAV this year + Johnsson's AAV.
Hopefully Hintz's contract will help them speed up the process once it gets to January.

Fiala's trade brought back a 1st + a good defenseman prospect (and he signed long term right away), which is what you could probably expect in a deal for Bratt one year from UFA and there's no way that's worth whatever gap Fitz and Bratt's agents have about the AAV. It would drastically lower the ceiling on the Devils' current team (right when all the young guys are in their prime/starting their prime).

Completely agree, and what we all have to remember is that if Bratt gets moved, Fitz would need to replace him with another top 6 winger (lets say someone like Meier), which in the end would require him handing out a large contract either way (probably even more than Bratt's). We all love players taking home team discounts, but sometimes you just need to pay to retain talent.

 

[Billdo]

Offer him Jacks deal on January 1

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

No more Bratt negativity

 

[Camille the Eel]

It all really depends on how much both parties are willing to compromise to make this work. If Fitz is set on $8m, he will not be able to sign Bratt, and if Bratt wants $9.5 and doesn't want to budge on that, then it won't work as well. Both parties need to give and take. I personally will find it comical that $1-$1.5m in AAV is what can make or break this. If it was $3m in AAV difference, that is one thing, but $1m can and MUST be negotiated by both parties to make this work.

I can see this going to arbitration or the brink of arbitration again next spring. Let's see what this year brings. We've got him at a bargain price for this and next season. Fitz will undoubtedly examine his options. The big thing is, we are suddenly able to think of a run at the cup. Unexpectedly, it's not an absurd scenario to think we can do some damage in the playoffs. Whatever we do will therefore be done with an eye to keeping that window realistically open and extending it. Fitz will find a way to make us as good or better out of this, I think.

 

[Lou is God]

Offer him Jacks deal on January 1

I'm not always on top of the dates and how these contracts and such work - what happens on January 1st that we can't do before?

 

[The Devil In I]

I'm not always on top of the dates and how these contracts and such work - what happens on January 1st that we can't do before?

Pretty sure it's if you just signed an RFA/arbitration deal you can't negotiate a new one until the new year.

 

[Blender]

No more Bratt negativity

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

You're pretty confident considering there's no real indication Bratt wants to take a hometown discount at this point after two protracted negotiations. If he did he would have signed long-term already. So either he wants his pound of flesh or he wants out of here/to get to FA period. Maybe he'll get the pound of flesh in January or shortly after but if not...

And if people want to buy that fantasy about the Devils and Bratt agreeing to a deal but just holding off for cap purposes, Fitz might win an Oscar for acting cause he comes off pretty exasperated every time the negotiations get brought up.

Agree. And if you think like I do that the Devils are only going to pay 1 wing a high AAV than the team was likely willling to walk away from Bratt since they made Johnny Hockey an offer. The other point I would make is that we know the Devils have a robust analytics group that has their own numbers, Is it possible Bratt does not come out as strong on their numbers than the publicly available "advanced" stats?

 

[Devs3cups]

I’m feeling pretty confident about the Bratt situation. Money was an issue last year, it won’t be next year. Bratt will have proven his worth again and get his 8-9 mil. Term is most likely not an issue.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I haven't subscribed but I'm sure it's a good article. Severson will always have gotten way more flak here than he ever truly deserved.