Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - camp edition

[JimEIV]

No, you missed the part where Mercer has the same hobbies as Jim.

He's into hookers and blow?

 

[My3Sons]

Not everyone believed Bratt was an important player while negotiations were going on, I actually did but this board certainly did not...quite the opposite actually.

Did anyone actually post that Bratt was not an important player? I don't recall that as a majority position at all.

 

[JimEIV]

Did anyone actually post that Bratt was not an important player? I don't recall that as a majority position at all.

There was plenty of talk that he wasn't a core player and that he was too small and soft.

 

[My3Sons]

He's into hookers and blow?

is that still a thing? I think of that as a meme for old people who don't actually understand memes. I think in our day they were referred to as tropes. For the young people posting they should know there was a time that was a go to joke to define selfish excess.

 

[Better Call Sal]

He's into hookers and blow?

For kids, now.

 

[My3Sons]

There was plenty of talk that he wasn't a core player and that he was too small and soft.

I recall one poster who routinely saw him as too small and soft but that is it. I think you might be confusing the ire at his agent and the perceived spill over to Bratt as a dismissal of the player. I dont' recall anyone suggesting he wasn't a core player so much as saying if he didn't want to sign with NJ for something appropriate they'd be open to trading him. To me they aren't at all the same thing.

 

[britdevil]

There was plenty of discourse about wether Bratt was a core player or not.

Personally I was sceptical, but he proved me wrong.

I'm not sceptical with Mercer at all. I really don't think he ever will be. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he was traded within the next 2 or 3 years.

 

[MadDevil]

There was plenty of talk that he wasn't a core player and that he was too small and soft.

IIRC it was mostly the same small, but annoying, group of posters who have never liked Bratt for whatever reason.

 

[britdevil]

IIRC it was mostly the same small, but annoying, group of posters who have never liked Bratt for whatever reason.

That's revisionist. There was plenty of discussion about it.

Luckily for us, he took the next step.

 

[JimEIV]

is that still a thing? I think of that as a meme for old people who don't actually understand memes. I think in our day they were referred to as tropes. For the young people posting they should know there was a time that was a go to joke to define selfish excess.

Still fun to say.... I love to randomly throw that out whenever I can.

Edit:

But I do appreciate your public service announcement to inform the innocent that I'm not actually into infidelity and narcotics

 

[TrufleShufle]

is that still a thing? I think of that as a meme for old people who don't actually understand memes. I think in our day they were referred to as tropes. For the young people posting they should know there was a time that was a go to joke to define selfish excess.

I'm too young for tropes and too old for memes, but I'm doing my darndest to pass on hookers and blow to the next generation. Don't worry gramps, I won't let it die.

 

[MadDevil]

That's revisionist. There was plenty of discussion about it.

Luckily for us, he took the next step.

Entirely possible. My memory isn't what it used to be and I don't feel like digging through old threads.

Either way, I'm over worrying about this stuff. It'll get done because, quite frankly what's the alternative? Mercer sits out? After not having a great season? Seems counterproductive to him getting a long term deal. The kid has no leverage, which sucks for him, but it is what it is. Hopefully he's motivated to go out there and have a really big season or two and earn a nice payday on his next deal.

The funny thing is he might end up benefitting more in the long run than if he just signed a long term deal now.

 

[Better Call Sal]

Now if you want discouraging remarks, take a look at Sweeney in Boston regarding Swayman.

There's no reason to think Mercer won't get done.

 

[NJDevs26]

I don't know if it's any admission of guilt as much as Fitzgerald knew there would be a step back and needed time to address it. You can argue how much of an upgrade, if any, the Devils got with Dillon and Pesce, but it's inarguable that they were able to get the new guys at lower cap hits and less term. That's valuable knowing that we'll need to pay Luke, Nemec, and of course Mercer.

Dillon: 3 years, $4 million AAv
Graves: 5 more years, $4.5 million AAV

Pesce: 6 years, $5.5 million AAV
Severson: 7 more years, $6.25 AAV

Pesce is also a different type of player than Severson. Dillon is a dramatically different type of player than Graves. And Wood is getting dramatically more term than Cotter. Not so much an admission of guilt, rather an admission they needed to replace them with different instruments in the orchestra.

 

[NJDevs26]

Now if you want discouraging remarks, take a look at Sweeney in Boston regarding Swayman.

There's no reason to think Mercer won't get done.

To his credit and our collective angst, Fitz never lets contract negotiations leak - we didn’t know jack squat for years about what was going on with Bratt.

 

[JimEIV]

Now if you want discouraging remarks, take a look at Sweeney in Boston regarding Swayman.

There's no reason to think Mercer won't get done.

I don't think it was ever a thought that a Mercer deal wouldn't get done.

It's was how much and long....now it's more when will a deal get done. Another week and it has the real possibility to not only effect his season but the teams as well.

 

[Darkauron]

As I stated months ago I fully expected Mercer to hold out based on how much money we'd have left for him. Disappointed it still happened, but not surprised

 

[britdevil]

Paging @britdevil , paging britdevil.....


Oh...he answered already....



Glad someone ELSE is going to get your ire for a change.

I just really hate it Glen.

I won't go into why, it's boring and stuff.

I just f***ing hate it. Sitting at home on your ass while your mates are getting ready for the season, learning the new system, getting to know new team mates. Burgh. I didn't think Mercer was like this. Still time to get it it done I guess.

 

[Hisch13r]

As I stated months ago I fully expected Mercer to hold out based on how much money we'd have left for him. Disappointed it still happened, but not surprised

There’s wayyyy more than enough money for Mercer. We have 5.75 left. Harley just signed for 4 mil 2 years and he was substantially better than Mercer.

 

[My3Sons]

As I stated months ago I fully expected Mercer to hold out based on how much money we'd have left for him. Disappointed it still happened, but not surprised

It depends upon what he's angling for. Is he saying he's worth something in excess of say $5 mil on a one or two year deal or is he pulling the old "I will only sign a four year deal to eat up my RFA years and I will only take above market for that four year deal". If his agent is just asking for more money on a one or two year deal they might offer a bit more but the market for that isn't great and he will sign soon. If it's some sort of existential fight over the CBA limits on RFA years he might sit for a while. Fitz usually has a sense of what a contract should be worth and I'm skeptical they offered Mercer way below what the market rate for a 20+ goal scorer coming off his ELC should garner on a bridge deal.

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

There were a lot of Bratt skeptics here, I bet @glenwo2 has them all written down somewhere. They got louder during the various contentious negotiations or when he was on a cold streak.

Just look at his career season by season points, every season until 73 point breakout I remember many posters saying he wasn't good enough and multiple bratt trade scenarios being presented.

 

[MasterofGrond]

Really respect Jim dropping the Severson/Graves/Wood post.

Takes a lot of gumption to make the missmeyet.jpg post about a group of players who are all widely derided for their dogshit contracts, and two of whom were literally benched last season for sucking.

We got out at exactly the right time on all three of those dudes, and I say that as a lifelong Severson booster.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1836446493374636278

 

[Hisch13r]

Entirely possible. My memory isn't what it used to be and I don't feel like digging through old threads.

Either way, I'm over worrying about this stuff. It'll get done because, quite frankly what's the alternative? Mercer sits out? After not having a great season? Seems counterproductive to him getting a long term deal. The kid has no leverage, which sucks for him, but it is what it is. Hopefully he's motivated to go out there and have a really big season or two and earn a nice payday on his next deal.

The funny thing is he might end up benefitting more in the long run than if he just signed a long term deal now.

Before 21-22 and the raw pt totals rose there was definitely a lot of people denying he was a core piece. Even following that there was a decent amount denying it until the big deal happened

 

[britdevil]

Jeremy Brodeur hanging on by the skin of his nepo teeth.