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

[Saugus]

I think I'd be ok with anything starting with an 8 for Bratt. Over $9 M is where we start running into cap problems, especially if we want to have Meier on the same or a similar deal.

If we don't trade for Meier, we can probably afford whatever Bratt wants.

 

[Hisch13r]

I think I'd be ok with anything starting with an 8 for Bratt. Over $9 M is where we start running into cap problems, especially if we want to have Meier on the same or a similar deal.

If we don't trade for Meier, we can probably afford whatever Bratt wants.

Yeah I’m cool with any 8s. I don’t think it’d be over 9. At most I think it’d be 9. We could swing that for both even if it’s a bit tight. Dream would be matching 8.5s

 

[My3Sons]

I think at this point Bratt’s put himself above the Fiala and Kyrou comps. 8.25-8.5 seems like the “fair” range. Report was Meier’s ask will be 9. If that’s true and you do add him then maybe you get him down to 8.75 and at that point you know Bratt’s asking for the same deal.

I am curious if the GMs talk contracts at all with each other? Fitz probably has some idea of what Bratt could get from another team. One team I could see make a big offer to Bratt is Toronto if Nylander leaves there and they will have to do something to stay attractive to Marner and Matthews during the last year of their deals.

 

[forceten]

I think at this point Bratt’s put himself above the Fiala and Kyrou comps. 8.25-8.5 seems like the “fair” range. Report was Meier’s ask will be 9. If that’s true and you do add him then maybe you get him down to 8.75 and at that point you know Bratt’s asking for the same deal.

The trouble is at 8.25 or even 8.5, Bratt makes less total cash.

8.5 x 7 = 59.5.
8 x 8 = 64.

4.5 million dollars is more than double what the median salary is for a U.S. worker ($54,132) over her/his entire career. It's a significant amount. When he retires in his late 30s, by the time he's in his mid 50s, that extra 4.5 million could be 18 or even 36 million dollars (assuming investing in market and doubling every 7-10 years). I know there are taxes, but my point stands.

 

[Hisch13r]

I am curious if the GMs talk contracts at all with each other? Fitz probably has some idea of what Bratt could get from another team. One team I could see make a big offer to Bratt is Toronto if Nylander leaves there and they will have to do something to stay attractive to Marner and Matthews during the last year of their deals.

Matthews and Nylander expire at the same time after next season and that’d be the same time Bratt’s a UFA

 

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Horvat trade kind of set the market, I'm going to assume Lou was able to talk to him / his agent beforehand to discuss the 8.5m x 8 deal. I'd go with 1st, Holtz, Mukhamadullin for Meier if we can get confirmation Meier would sign that deal as well. Then I'd try to get Bratt at 8.5m per also.

That should open up a cup window.

 

[My3Sons]

Matthews and Nylander expire at the same time after next season and that’d be the same time Bratt’s a UFA

I thought Matthews had one more year but either way, I could see Toronto willing to pay Bratt if Nylander leaves. Marner will have one year left after next season. It's hard to speculate that far out but I don't doubt some team will offer more than they should.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Horvat trade kind of set the market, I'm going to assume Lou was able to talk to him / his agent beforehand to discuss the 8.5m x 8 deal. I'd go with 1st, Holtz, Mukhamadullin for Meier if we can get confirmation Meier would sign that deal as well. Then I'd try to get Bratt at 8.5m per also.

That should open up a cup window.

I'm fine with this price if and only if we're able to keep both Meier and Bratt for 4-6 more years. I don't think our forward group is good enough to contend for cups without both of them.

 

[bossram]

Bratt's put himself in a spot to get more than the ~8x8 contracts signed last summer. He's now got a longer track record of high-level production and is closer to UFA. His agent is very justified in asking around $9M AAV at this point.

 

[Blackjack]

I think we should be as well. Holtz might've graduated...not sure. The top 3 is NJ, Columbus & Minnesota.

I don’t think Holtz should have graduated: he hasn’t established himself in the NHL yet and he’s not 23. Wheeler still has 2019 guys like Turcotte listed so Holtz might have another year still.

 

[My3Sons]

Bratt's put himself in a spot to get more than the ~8x8 contracts signed last summer. He's now got a longer track record of high-level production and is closer to UFA. His agent is very justified in asking around $9M AAV at this point.

Only if he can get the $9 mil somewhere else. I’d be curious if that is realistic.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Bratt's put himself in a spot to get more than the ~8x8 contracts signed last summer. He's now got a longer track record of high-level production and is closer to UFA. His agent is very justified in asking around $9M AAV at this point.

The bad/good news for Bratt is that the cap is still not going to jump until next offseason, so the argument will be that nobody could afford to give him that contract this offseason. He could force the Devils to take him to arbitration and then hit UFA next year, but that carries all the risks of a one year contract and he might have had his fill of that after this season. One bad leg or shoulder injury and all of a sudden there's questions and leverage for teams to use in negotiations.

I think if he does re-sign long term, it will be for $8.5 or less and max term. The time for him to sign for 7 years or less at a higher AAV was last offseason because then he would have been buying out two RFA years and still hitting the UFA market before 30.

 

[bossram]

Only if he can get the $9 mil somewhere else. I’d be curious if that is realistic.

I'm sure there is/are teams that would offer a $9M AAV.

 

[Better Call Sal]

The Vitek can do no wrong.

 

[bossram]

The bad/good news for Bratt is that the cap is still not going to jump until next offseason, so the argument will be that nobody could afford to give him that contract this offseason. He could force the Devils to take him to arbitration and then hit UFA next year, but that carries all the risks of a one year contract and he might have had his fill of that after this season. One bad leg or shoulder injury and all of a sudden there's questions and leverage for teams to use in negotiations.

I think if he does re-sign long term, it will be for $8.5 or less and max term. The time for him to sign for 7 years or less at a higher AAV was last offseason because then he would have been buying out two RFA years and still hitting the UFA market before 30.

The QO is a risk for the Devils, but seems like one Bratt's camp is comfortable with considering they opted for the 1-year route this season. It seems obvious he wants to maximize his next contract, which is fair enough.

 

[Cheddabombs]

The Vitek can do no wrong.

Love it, nice Marty-inspired design

 

[KovalchukFistPump]

I think I'd be ok with anything starting with an 8 for Bratt. Over $9 M is where we start running into cap problems, especially if we want to have Meier on the same or a similar deal.

If we don't trade for Meier, we can probably afford whatever Bratt wants.

Remember when we thought we could sign Bratt somewhere in the 6's? Good times.

I REALLY REALLY don't want to sign him to anything over 8M a year for the following reasons:

1. He isn't a center and he isn't a two-way forward.
2. While last year he was by far the best offensive player and play-driver on the team, this year he is benefiting from Hughes on the PP and in OT. And in some ways benefiting from Hischier as well, or at least to the point where that line is 50/50 offensive play-driving between them.
3. Scoring is way up in the league. PPG is great but it's not amazing the way it was a few years ago.
4. A year ago there was no guarantee the team was ever going to be good. This year it seems like they are on the cusp of something great. I hope he takes a small discount to be part of that, so the team can fully retain Mercer, L-Hughes, Nemec, Holtz, Vanecek etc in a few years if they all happen to pan out and become good to elite. Otherwise we run into the Leafs' problems where we have to trade young players as soon as they become good and more expensive.

 

[Clam Jensen]

The Vitek can do no wrong.

Gorgeous. 10/10.

 

[TonySoprano]

 

[Blackjack]

You looked up Florida DUI statutes? Wow. I'm impressed.

Golf cart dui’s are actually kind of notorious in Florida. At least they were when I lived there 20 years ago. You’d hear a story about one and people would shake their heads and laugh, and then inevitably someone would speak up and say “no, seriously that’s how most people get DUIs here”.

 

[Richer's Ghost]

Sorry to re-hash the whole Brunette/Golf Cart saga but someone here stated that him refusing to take the Breathalyzer test was a wise move as a failed test would result in an automatic 1-year suspension of his license.

But I looked it up and it said that a REFUSAL to take one results in an automatic 1-year suspension of his license.

A failed test, depending on how badly he failed, would result in probably a 6-month suspension.

Either way, he's F'ed and can't drive a car for awhile.

(and what a dumb way to get your license suspended : a f**king Golf Cart. )

I speculated that he probably refused which automatically got him a DUI charge whereas if you blow you can either get out of it or give them hard evidence which seals your fate and leaves little room for lawyers to negotiate a different charge.

My lawyer friend told me if you have any doubt you aren't passing - don't give them any evidence and refuse. Field sobriety tests are notoriously easy to wiggle out of for lots of reasons but a blood alcohol test via blowing or blood test is hard to ignore from a prosecutor standpoint if they want to nail you.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Remember when we thought we could sign Bratt somewhere in the 6's? Good times.

I REALLY REALLY don't want to sign him to anything over 8M a year for the following reasons:

1. He isn't a center and he isn't a two-way forward.
2. While last year he was by far the best offensive player and play-driver on the team, this year he is benefiting from Hughes on the PP and in OT. And in some ways benefiting from Hischier as well, or at least to the point where that line is 50/50 offensive play-driving between them.
3. Scoring is way up in the league. PPG is great but it's not amazing the way it was a few years ago.
4. A year ago there was no guarantee the team was ever going to be good. This year it seems like they are on the cusp of something great. I hope he takes a small discount to be part of that, so the team can fully retain Mercer, L-Hughes, Nemec, Holtz, Vanecek etc in a few years if they all happen to pan out and become good to elite. Otherwise we run into the Leafs' problems where we have to trade young players as soon as they become good and more expensive.

He is definitely a two way forward. Elite play driver, outscoring the opposition 38-18 with him on the ice. He is great with and without both of our top centers, that is not a knock, it’s a huge plus. Plug him on any line, he will cook.

 

[Triumph]

Remember when we thought we could sign Bratt somewhere in the 6's? Good times.

I REALLY REALLY don't want to sign him to anything over 8M a year for the following reasons:

1. He isn't a center and he isn't a two-way forward.

He is a two-way forward, but he's small and they don't use him on the PK so this is the rap on him. No Devils forward is on the ice for fewer shots/60 than him. Some of that is deployment, obviously, but he's a good defensive player, and has been for years.

2. While last year he was by far the best offensive player and play-driver on the team, this year he is benefiting from Hughes on the PP and in OT. And in some ways benefiting from Hischier as well, or at least to the point where that line is 50/50 offensive play-driving between them.

Who cares, they are benefitting from him as well.

3. Scoring is way up in the league. PPG is great but it's not amazing the way it was a few years ago.

This isn't a reason. $8M isn't even 10% of the cap. It's comparable to 5M in the late 00s, 6M after the 2013 lockout. And the cap is supposed to rise significantly after next season.

4. A year ago there was no guarantee the team was ever going to be good. This year it seems like they are on the cusp of something great. I hope he takes a small discount to be part of that, so the team can fully retain Mercer, L-Hughes, Nemec, Holtz, Vanecek etc in a few years if they all happen to pan out and become good to elite. Otherwise we run into the Leafs' problems where we have to trade young players as soon as they become good and more expensive.

The Leafs problem has not been this so I'm not sure why this is expressed this way. The Leafs problem is that they anticipated a rising cap that they did not get, and they weren't willing to play enough hardball with Matthews and Marner. If the cap is at $90M where it 'should' be, the Leafs are still tight to it but it's just a better team.

 

[My3Sons]

He is a two-way forward, but he's small and they don't use him on the PK so this is the rap on him. No Devils forward is on the ice for fewer shots/60 than him. Some of that is deployment, obviously, but he's a good defensive player, and has been for years.



Who cares, they are benefitting from him as well.



This isn't a reason. $8M isn't even 10% of the cap. It's comparable to 5M in the late 00s, 6M after the 2013 lockout. And the cap is supposed to rise significantly after next season.



The Leafs problem has not been this so I'm not sure why this is expressed this way. The Leafs problem is that they anticipated a rising cap that they did not get, and they weren't willing to play enough hardball with Matthews and Marner. If the cap is at $90M where it 'should' be, the Leafs are still tight to it but it's just a better team.

The place Toronto whiffed was on term. They paid way too much for one UFA year.

 

[bossram]

Give my man's the Hart!!