Devils team discussion (news, notes and speculation) - offseason part II

[Rhodes 81]

I think this could be a fair read assuming Bratt even wants the Laine deal

Given the way Fitz has been willing to pay Hughes and Hischier above value (at time of signing) for a max-term deal, I am fairly confident he would do the same for Bratt. I think the simple read is that Bratt wants to hit FA at 28-29 so he can sign a 7 year contract while he will still command a big salary, and there should be more teams with more cap space and higher salaries available then. If it was as simple as $7.5-8x8 years, it would be done already. If Bratt doesn't want to sign that long, Fitz has to hold onto AAV as much as possible because that's the only leverage he has to buy more UFA years.

 

[NJDevilsFan21]

Being on a 1 year deal he's really going to need to prove himself to the UFA market. That motivation will at least increase his rental value for a deep 2023 draft (which we could try to package off with our other 1st for an immediate impact asset).

I'm tired of sucking but I'm not expecting much of this team until Nemec and L. Hughes have matured a bit.

 

[devilsfan35]

He’s not Taylor hall coming off a hart trophy season. 1 yr 6.5M is fair. They just need to agree on that term

 

[glenwo2]

I was so ready to move on because I believed Bratt was the instigator in this and thought him to be a greedy SOB.

Now I'm no longer sure that it wasn't just Fitz being a goddamn cheapskate.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

It's almost like it might be a good idea to wait for at least some information before forming a very stern opinion on something. Almost....

Sir, that is against the ongoing decade's internetiquette.

 

[NjDevsRR]

 

[Nubmer6]

I'm not shocked at all with those numbers. This is for ONE RFA year, and it's not even his FINAL RFA year. Bratt's ask for 6.5 concerns me, as it probably means he's asking for MUCH, MUCH more for a long term deal... like, over 8M.

 

[SJinNewJersey]

 

[Csonked Out]

What the the odds that Bratt just wants free agency as soon as possibly and term is the big issue

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I'm not shocked at all with those numbers. This is for ONE RFA year, and it's not even his FINAL RFA year. Bratt's ask for 6.5 concerns me, as it probably means he's asking for MUCH, MUCH more for a long term deal... like, over 8M.

Which is very much fair on a 7 or 8 year deal. He is a better hockey player than Patrik Laine who signed for more than that buying fewer years of UFA.

 

[Camille the Eel]

after seeing us offering what for Johnny Hockey, like 11 million per year or what (?), for a guy who's older and has less prime hockey left in him than Bratt, it's hard to fault Jesper Bratt for looking for at least Jack's contract if he's going to sign long term. If the gets to UFA with another year or two like he's had, he will command Gaudreau money on the market and probably in inflated figures.

For Bratt, the difference between the 64 million on Jack's contract and what he can make on the open market over the same period may be as much as 20 to 30 million dollars in his pocket.

Assuming he stays healthy and continues to grow. The guy has "bet on himself" as someone here said before and been right too.

I don't begrudge him a cent or a maximum contract. He's already slaved in the trenches at bottom money for a bunch of years.

My guess is that he ends up in arbitration pretty much at his own figure. It's not baseball arbitration I believe, where the arbitrator has to take one figure or the other. The arbitrator is going to give him at least 6 million and probably more.

 

[Better Call Sal]

I was so ready to move on because I believed Bratt was the instigator in this and thought him to be a greedy SOB.

Now I'm no longer sure that it wasn't just Fitz being a goddamn cheapskate.

Let things actually play out before committing to a side and you'll be a happier person for it.

 

[Devs3cups]

Agreed.

Apparently at its core, he's still taking a hometown discount so to speak.....and it seems Fitz still wants him to basically sign a contract well below what he has earned.

If we end up losing Bratt, I will know who to blame and it won't be Bratt. #FitzDamnYou

4-5 people have explained how this works, and it’s accurate. Why would Fitz offer 7.5 mil on a 1 year deal for Bratt to take in arbitration? It would make no sense. This is not an indication of what Fitz has offered for a long-term contract. Litterally none. I can also assure you that Bratt isn’t asking for 6.5 AAV longterm. That would’ve already got done by now. Which maybe shows his true demands aren’t that realistic if he’s not willing to bet on himself more on a 1-year deal.

As I see it, if Bratt is asking for 6.5 on a 1 year deal, he might be asking 8-8.5 AAV long-term. That’s steep. I have no doubt in my mind that Fitz has offered 7-7.5 on a 8 year deal. If that’s the case and we learn that Bratt rejected that to get more money and hit UFA sooner, will you still blame Fitz? Cause that’s definitely the most likely scenario still.

 

[Devil X]

I'm kinda more shocked that Bratt's number for himself is so low. My dude you just put up 73 points in 76 games. Ask for more.

Once.

Before that his career high was what 30-35 points in 4 seasons?

There is a bunch of blame here not just on one side. Very hard for any of us to judge given that lack of information we actually have. These numbers are exactly what you would expect, numbers they think they can prove. Bratts camp feels they can prove he is worth 1 year of 6.5 and the Devils feel they can prove he is worth 1 year of 4.15. None of these numbers are any indication of what a longer term deal would be at.

Fitz could be lowballing him trying to get a long term, team friendly deal. While Bratt is probably trying to cash in on his very good season, basically saying he bet on himself now pay me. Both seem locked into their positions, something will have to give eventually. I'm sure with a bit of compromise each way this would get done quickly.

 

[glenwo2]

I'm not shocked at all with those numbers. This is for ONE RFA year, and it's not even his FINAL RFA year. Bratt's ask for 6.5 concerns me, as it probably means he's asking for MUCH, MUCH more for a long term deal... like, over 8M.

One could look at it that way.

But on the opposite end, one could also say that Fitz was lowballing him (not here in arbitration where people have said "oh..you're supposed to lowball" or whatever but in actual contract negotiations).

Here's the thing : If Fitz wants Bratt back bad enough, he can sign him.

But he won't because he's more willing to sign players to big contracts based on their potential (Hughes/Nico) and not what they've accomplished.

Sooner or later he's going to have to sign SOMEONE to a big contract.

Why the hell can't it be one of his own players, goddammit?!?!

 

[Nubmer6]

Honestly, because of our cap situation, the ideal solution (although it's risky) is to sign him to a lower 1 year deal this year, then sign him to an 8 year deal next year, which brings him to 33 years old.

The only other deal that would make sense is to sign him to a 5 year deal right now, bringing him to 29. He gets to cash in for one last big contract then.

Really, no other term makes sense.

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

Once.

Before that his career high was what 30-35 points in 4 seasons?

There is a bunch of blame here not just on one side. Very hard for any of us to judge given that lack of information we actually have. These numbers are exactly what you would expect, numbers they think they can prove. Bratts camp feels they can prove he is worth 1 year of 6.5 and the Devils feel they can prove he is worth 1 year of 4.15. None of these numbers are any indication of what a longer term deal would be at.

Fitz could be lowballing him trying to get a long term, team friendly deal. While Bratt is probably trying to cash in on his very good season, basically saying he bet on himself now pay me. Both seem locked into their positions, something will have to give eventually. I'm sure with a bit of compromise each way this would get done quickly.

Robert Thomas was a 35-40 point player before breaking out this past year and just signed for $8x8

Josh Norris has 90 career points in 2 seasons and just signed for $8x8

lets not act like this is some unprecedented thing...

 

[glenwo2]

Honestly, because of our cap situation, the ideal solution (although it's risky) is to sign him to a lower 1 year deal this year, then sign him to an 8 year deal next year, which brings him to 33 years old.

The only other deal that would make sense is to sign him to a 5 year deal right now, bringing him to 29. He gets to cash in for one last big contract then.

Really, no other term makes sense.

You know what?

That makes perfect sense in BOTH scenarios.

 

[NjDevsRR]

Let things actually play out before committing to a side and you'll be a happier person for it.

 

[glenwo2]

Guys, an arb number is not representative of what has actually been offered in extension talks. All you have to do is look at Bratt's number. There is no way he would sign for $6.5 long-term. They are submitting these numbers based on a 1 year contract that is not buying any UFA years.

True.

However it paints a picture that shows where both sides are especially in Fitz's case.

Let things actually play out before committing to a side and you'll be a happier person for it.

It's tough not to commit to a side when there's a lot of smoke coming from one side....then all of a sudden FIRE erupts from the OTHER side you weren't expecting.

 

[ChicksDigTheTrap]

I'm kinda more shocked that Bratt's number for himself is so low. My dude you just put up 73 points in 76 games. Ask for more.

That is actually high for a 1 year deal. Buchnevixh and Bratt have almost identical numbers and Buch got $5.8 by 4 and he gave up 2 UFA years.

 

[Devs3cups]

True.

However it paints a picture that shows where both sides are especially in Fitz's case.

But it really doesn’t though.

 

[glenwo2]

But it really doesn’t though.

I'm not talking about the numbers specifically in Arbitration.

I'm referring to where they currently are in negotiations

 

[ninetyeight]

Man people on twitter really have no idea how any of this works. Half are saying Devils are stupid for not signing Bratt to 6.5x8 contract, and the other half is arguing he's not even worth 4.5m

It's alright not knowing things, you know what you know, but to be so vocal about it while being so clueless makes my head hurt.

 

[Nubmer6]

True.

However it paints a picture that shows where both sides are especially in Fitz's case.

We're all freaking out cause the number LOOKS low compared to what we've been throwing around here, but everything we've been talking about has been for a mid to long term deal. Once the sticker shock wears off, it starts to look like the Bratt number is quite high for 1 year. Then again, it's his agent's job to "high-ball".