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

[njdevil26]

I just don't get it... is his agent telling him he's going to put up 80 points and should be getting 9-10 mil? Like what the absolute f? The Devils drafted him in the 6th round and made him a central piece of this team... 7-7.5 per year long term is absolutely fair.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

People need to start taking emotions out of this and realize it is business. I hope the player gets paid but in the long run I want the GM winning this battle, it gives the Devils the best chance to compete for the cup each year.

 

[Normal Devil]

He’s not staying with us long term, it’s pretty friggin’ clear.

If it's looking that way to Fitz then he should deal the guy. I like Bratt as a player, but I kind of expect that once we start playing playoff hockey he will get run over and won't be anywhere near as effective.

 

[RangerDoggo]

I just don't get it... is his agent telling him he's going to put up 80 points and should be getting 9-10 mil? Like what the absolute f? The Devils drafted him in the 6th round and made him a central piece of this team... 7-7.5 per year long term is absolutely fair.

He doesn't want a long term deal, he wants another big payday not too far down the line when the cap blows up. When this goes to arbitration it's a guarantee that payday won't come with us.

 

[njdevil26]

He doesn't want a long term deal, he wants another big payday not too far down the line when the cap blows up. When this goes to arbitration it's a guarantee that payday won't come with us.

I think that's a good possibility but it doesn't explain the last negotiation that led to Bratt skipping camp... that was before he had his career year. This agent is a jackass and this is ruining the relationship between the team and the player.

 

[RangerDoggo]

I think that's a good possibility but it doesn't explain the last negotiation that led to Bratt skipping camp... that was before he had his career year. This agent is a jackass and this is ruining the relationship between the team and the player.

His agent isn't doing anything he doesn't want him to do.

 

[billingtons ghost]

You bring up valid points but so do they....In the end I hope both goalies do well and elevate themselves and the team but you are right too the team as a whole needs to be better for the goalies as well.....

I am really optimistic that the coaching changes, the additions of vets up front, Marino and Smith (Nemec?) a healthy MB29 and especially a year of growth and maturity and a good training camp are going to make a huge difference and we will see the team come out hot. The team defense (and the goalies at times) will falter, and then there'll be the same talk, but it should be a much better result.

 

[Nubmer6]

His agent isn't doing anything he doesn't want him to do.

Doesn't mean his agent doesn't influence him by telling him he's worth more than he is.

 

[billingtons ghost]

I agree with you but I think it's going to better this season. Additions of Palat and Haula give us at least two lines in the top 9 with a veteran forward that can play a responsible 2 way game. I think that's going to go a long way.

Getting rid of Subban and Ty is another plus, getting rid of Nas and replacing him with an experienced and successful coach for the D is another big step forward

We still have a lot of forwards that play pond hockey but I think the changes we made this off season are the type that change the room and the culture of the team.

We'll see, but if it's bad next year some drastic changes will have to be made.

Ok I should have just said ditto for your post pretty much.

 

[Devs3cups]

 

[MadDevil]

Poor Ryan is getting a baptism by fire this summer.

 

[Call Me Al]

i can’t believe bratt didn’t ask for more but honestly if that’s his number they have to find a medium to long term number and lock him up for at least 4 years come on

 

[britdevil]

Anyone with half a brain cell should have realised this immediately.

This is about term. Fitz wants UFA years, Bratt won’t give them. Thus the lowball arbitration amount.

This is a massive gamble by Jesper. Dude is playing with fire.

 

[Devs3cups]

Anyone with half a brain cell should have realised this immediately.

This is about term. Fitz wants UFA years, Bratt won’t give them. Thus the lowball arbitration amount.

This is a massive gamble by Jesper. Dude is playing with fire.

100%

 

[Call Me Al]

and yeah as far as fitz’s number, im sure they offered more, bratt was not receptive and now he’s incentivized to get the number as low as possible with plausible comps, why should he be generous to bratts side if they aren’t working with him?

personally i think bratts a steal at $6.5 so i’m not worried about this contract i just want to watch him play for us for a long time. bought his jersey his rookie year love hat he brings

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

I would say NJ offered
54-55 million over 8 years. If Bratt has a bad year or gets injured, he could be leaving a lot of money on the table.

 

[HBK27]

Wonder how much (if any) of this is also due to Fitz wanting to keep the salary structure having Hughes and Nico as the top paid forwards. I know it's different situations and Bratt would be giving up more UFA years (potentially) on a long-term deal, but ideally his salary should be right below Nico's $7.25M.

Would both sides agree to a 5 x $7M deal (would eat up 3 UFA years similar to Nico's pre-Covid deal)? Doesn't sound like Bratt's side would agree to that though.

 

[njdevil26]

Good points brought up by some. If Jesper goes on a one year deal through arb and gets hurt or only scores 50 points or less... then what?

I STILL think he's signing a long term deal before the hearing.

 

[HBK27]

Good points brought up by some. If Jesper goes on a one year deal through arb and gets hurt or only scores 50 points or less... then what?

I STILL think he's signing a long term deal before the hearing.

I would speculate that if they really can't hammer out a long-term deal prior to the arbitration hearing that maybe they just agree to a one-year deal and try again next year (or Bratt just gets dealt next offseason if those negotiations go nowhere). Not sure either side wants to really go thru with the arbitration process.

It's a tough negotiation as there already seems to be some animosity from the negotiation process two years ago and Bratt is coming off a great season after not really put up great numbers in the four season prior.

 

[billingtons ghost]

“Both of our starters played injured and then we lost them after they started a combined 32 games. The rest of the games were played by a 5 other goalies. That was catastrophic.”

“Why are do you keep saying you don’t want any improvement to our team defense? For example, Smith and Subban were terrible, what’s the plan with them next season?”

What is remarkable is that you can write pages and pages and miss points entirely.

No one asserted anywhere our goalie situation was good, or ok or even mildly bad. It was awful. EVERY FRIGGING PERSON RECOGNIZES THIS FACT. Stop wasting time with the dramatics. Can you please now stop deflecting the point which has, and always will be:
To write Blackwood off, in the nature of @Bleedred original post, is silly. His body of work last year was marred not only by his injury and concussions but by goalie-killing, confidence destroying play in front of him. I don't know anyone who has spent years watching hockey could say that we were 'good' in front of our goalies.

I'm optimistic that both goalies will have great years. That said, if our forwards are blueline turnover machines like last year, we are going to go thru the same scuffles of confidence where people will point again to SV% and stoppable goals after a couple of stinkers and we will hear how Fitz should've gotten Lehner or traded for a real goalie.

You typically are right on the money with your analysis, but you are as frustrating AF when you head down a rabbit hole.

Lol...but so am I.

 

[njdevil26]

I would speculate that if they really can't hammer out a long-term deal prior to the arbitration hearing that maybe they just agree to a one-year deal and try again next year (or Bratt just gets dealt next offseason if those negotiations go nowhere). Not sure either side wants to really go thru with the arbitration process.

It's a tough negotiation as there already seems to be some animosity from the negotiation process two years ago and Bratt is coming off a great season after not really put up great numbers in the four season prior.

This is the worst case scenario for us... because the way this agent does business. He had Bratt missing camp for WAY less.

 

[Hisch13r]

CJ nails it on the head. f*** this team if they’re not willing to give him a comparable to Fiala, Norris, Thomas.

 

[RangerDoggo]

I'd rather just have him for two years so I don't have to deal with the bullshit again and he can leave us after, flipping us the double bird on the way out. He clearly does not want to be here.

 

[billingtons ghost]

Bernier’s Save % is .914 if you take out the last game against Winnipeg.

And btw, uh we can do this now? I love statistics. If I have a really small sample set of a ridiculously volatile stat, and then I change the numbers it proves me right on the interwebs.
Priceless.

Oh btw, his SV% is .891if is next game was like the Winnipeg game. See? Works for me too.

 

[Blender]

CJ nails it on the head. f*** this team if they’re not willing to give him a comparable to Fiala, Norris, Thomas.

I would do $8x8 in a second if he will sign it. If he wants to go to UFA in 2 years, we need to trade him.