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

[Emperoreddy]

So we can do this all over again next summer? What makes you think the contract negotiations would be easier next time than they have the last two?

More cap space so we can pay him what he is actually worth.

 

[Bcap88]

That isn't evident at all

I mean you can believe that but it’s been two hard negotiations and Bratt lack of signing a long term deal which gives that vibe. The ole adage fool me once….

 

[Alex NJD]

Going to bed and hoping when I wake up there is news of a deal

 

[Guttersniped]

Another year of data on Bratt? If he replicates this season Fitz might up the offer significantly? That’s all I got. Arbitration is far from ideal, but in our situation, I don’t think it’s necessarily the end of Bratt’s time here.

I don’t see how Bratt is going to want to get his third short bridge deal at age 25, unless some unusual happens (next year goes very badly due to injury and he wants a do over).

That’s not something that typically happens, guys usually want to go to a big long term deal after that. You can only bet on yourself so many times. (Anything can happen obviously, but that would be a lot of short term deals for one fella.)

So if we don’t give him 7-8 year deal someone else will. (It’s after 1 am EST, I’m assuming a 1 year deal is happening.).

Letting it go to an arbitration hearing sucks, and I’m disappointed with that, but you move on. We’ll see how next year goes.

I just want Fitz to be realistic about it, to me the next big date would be January, when this starts all over again.

The thing we don’t want to hear Bratt publicly declaring he isn’t negotiating a deal during next season.

Then the TDL becomes a big date. He should be traded before the next draft if a long term deal is not feasible. If we keep him an extra year just to delay getting worse… yeah, I’m not into that.

But that’s a while away. I can get emotional about this stuff while it’s happening but typically get over it very fast. What done is done. Keeping and carrying frustrations and resentments along with you in life doesn’t help you at all.

The one hope we’ll have is Fitz won’t want the team to get worse and everyone likes money. We have no reason yet to assume Bratt won’t take ours if he’s offered enough.

The trade board (and beyond) madness from this is going to be excruciating though. Woof.

 

[Devs3cups]

I don’t see how Bratt is going to want to get his third short bridge deal at age 25, unless some unusual happens (next year goes very badly due to injury and he wants a do over).

That’s not something that typically happens, guys usually want to go to a big long term deal after that. You can only bet on yourself so many times. (Anything can happen obviously, but that would be a lot of short term deals for one fella.)

So if we don’t give him 7-8 year deal someone else will. (It’s after 1 am EST, I’m assuming a 1 year deal is happening.).

Letting it go to an arbitration hearing sucks, and I’m disappointed with that, but you move on. We’ll see how next year goes.

I just want Fitz to be realistic about it, to me the next big date would be January, when this starts all over again.

The thing we don’t want to hear Bratt publicly declaring he isn’t negotiating a deal during next season.

Then the TDL becomes a big date. He should be traded before the next draft if a long term deal is not feasible. If we keep him an extra year just to delay getting worse… yeah, I’m not into that.

But that’s a while away. I can get emotional about this stuff while it’s happening but typically get over it very fast. What done is done. Keeping and carrying frustrations and resentments along with you in life doesn’t help you at all.

The one hope we’ll have is Fitz won’t want the team to get worse and everyone likes money. We have no reason yet to assume Bratt won’t take ours if he’s offered enough.

The trade board (and beyond) madness from this is going to be excruciating though. Woof.

Great post, I agree. As for the bolded, I usually try to avoid those lol.

 

[njdevils1982]

code red!

its agent orange.... sign or dont sign on the dotted line....

 

[Bcap88]

The biggest nugget we got from fitz is that they offered him a long term deal and didn’t hear back from him. Now to me, that sounds like someone who isn’t really interested in being here long term

 

[Eggtimer]

The biggest nugget we got from fitz is that they offered him a long term deal and didn’t hear back from him. Now to me, that sounds like someone who isn’t really interested in being here long term

If 100%true then yes doesn’t sound like it . If he did he would have at least countered.
If he does want out then I wonder if he feels jaded about not feeling part of the “core“ or in the long term plans going a couple of years back. It’s all speculation for now so what ever.

 

[bossram]

If Bratt doesn't want to sign a long term deal now I don't think he'll be any more likely to want to sign one next year when he's just a year away from UFA.

Yep. If there's no deal with some kind of term (not even necessarily long-term, perhaps a deal structured like Mangiapane's), then it's pretty obvious his main goal is to hit UFA.

If it's a one-year agreement or arbitration award, he'll just walk himself another season to UFA.

 

[glenwo2]

A couple days ago it was the agent’s fault, and now we’re back to Fitz? Is it gonna be the agent again tomorrow?

The arbitration number kind of shifted the blame for me. *shrugs*

Well he can eat shit.

THIS.

 

[glenwo2]

Either way devils wouldn’t care, more pressure on Bratt to preform/not get injured on a 1 year rfa deal as opposed to the security of a long term deal

It’s pretty evident that he doesn’t want to be here

That's your imagination talking.

 

[MadDevil]

I'm still holding out hope for a 4-5 year deal as a compromise but at this point it seems more likely to end in a 1 year deal, either before the hearing or after it. I think a few years ago the agent's other client Ullmark actually signed a 1 year deal after the hearing but before the arbitrator had decided. And he then left Buffalo as a UFA after signing another 1 year deal the year after, so there does seem to be a bit of a playbook with how his agent has operated in the past. Obviously it won't follow the same script because there's no way Fitz can let him walk for nothing in the summer of 2024.

 

[Bcap88]

That's your imagination talking.

I mean if he wanted to be here he would have signed the long term deal presented months ago

 

[Guttersniped]

I'm still holding out hope for a 4-5 year deal as a compromise but at this point it seems more likely to end in a 1 year deal, either before the hearing or after it. I think a few years ago the agent's other client Ullmark actually signed a 1 year deal after the hearing but before the arbitrator had decided. And he then left Buffalo as a UFA after signing another 1 year deal the year after, so there does seem to be a bit of a playbook with how his agent has operated in the past. Obviously it won't follow the same script because there's no way Fitz can let him walk for nothing in the summer of 2024.

They changed the rules in the 2020 CBA update.

Teams and players used to be able to negotiate deals after the hearing but before the arbitration ruling was issued. Now they can no longer negotiate a deal once the arbitration hearing starts. So the deadline is 9 am.

 

[FooteBahl]

Doesn’t look like it and by the looks of it Bratt is his agents biggest client out of a pool of 5

NHL Contracts by Agent Joakim Persson | Puckpedia

Well than Bratt needs to get rid of his Kirkland/Members Mark brand agent and go with the big boys.

 

[Capt Nico Poo]

A lot of negativity here to be honest. Just remain cool. There is no indication that Bratt would not want to play here. Let agents and GMs do their thing.

 

[FooteBahl]

This may be a dumb question, but if they go to a hearing, how long is it before they can work on an extension?

Can the arbitrator award 5.3 million and then the next day the devils give him 8x8 starting 2023-24?

 

[ninetyeight]

This may be a dumb question, but if they go to a hearing, how long is it before they can work on an extension?

Can the arbitrator award 5.3 million and then the next day the devils give him 8x8 starting 2023-24?

Not until early next year.

 

[Bcap88]

This may be a dumb question, but if they go to a hearing, how long is it before they can work on an extension?

Can the arbitrator award 5.3 million and then the next day the devils give him 8x8 starting 2023-24?

Can’t work on an extension until Jan 1

 

[Bcap88]

If we do have to trade him I would call up San Jose and see what’s going on with Meir

 

[FooteBahl]

Can’t work on an extension until Jan 1

Thank you for not calling me dumb lol.

 

[New Jersey Devils]

If we do have to trade him I would call up San Jose and see what’s going on with Meir

I honestly hope Fitz has been checking in on him ever since missing out on Cat/JG/MT.

 

[FooteBahl]

If we do have to trade him I would call up San Jose and see what’s going on with Meir

1-4-1? I don’t think either would have to add much, if anything at all.

 

[MadDevil]

I mean if he wanted to be here he would have signed the long term deal presented months ago

I think the better phrasing would be he doesn't want to sign a long term contract. Saying he doesn't want to be here suggests he wants out as soon as possible, in which case he would probably just demand a trade rather than go through all of this.

 

[FooteBahl]

I think the better phrasing would be he doesn't want to sign a long term contract. Saying he doesn't want to be here suggests he wants out as soon as possible, in which case he would probably just demand a trade rather than go through all of this.

Besides two drag-out contract battles, I don’t really see anything that indicates him wanting out.
Both the devils and Bratt know his worth, and they’re both aware that the cap will likely skyrocket in a few years—it’s just a matter of striking that delicate balance of team friendly/player value.