Confirmed with Link: Weekesbomb: Palat to NJ for five-year deal

[Blackjack]

Plus all this paranoia about how one bad contract will turn into seven and we'll never be able to get out of it, how many years did we have the most cap space in the league? And what did we get for taking on other teams' bad deals? A random 2nd for Marc Savard, that's it. Teams find a way out most of the time without paying a big price.

If one bad contract turns into seven a la Philly and Vegas, then yeah feel free to fillet and roast Fitz all you want. But can we just acknowledge that one potential bad contract is just that...ONE?!

Tatar is also a bad contract, and we bought out another forward like two days ago. So let’s not pretend that this is one blemish on an otherwise spotless record.

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

Erik Gudbranson signed a 4x4 deal. Chiarot signed for 4.75x4. These players stink already and will get worse. Palat is at least good now and might stink by the end of it.

 

[NJDevs26]

Tatar is also a bad contract, and we bought out another forward like two days ago. So let’s not pretend that this is one blemish on an otherwise spotless record.

And what did Kuokkanen prevent us from doing? What will Tatar prevent us from doing? They have enough cap space this year and a crap ton next year, who cares about a one-year buyout now?

 

[OmNomNom]

Tatar is also a bad contract, and we bought out another forward like two days ago. So let’s not pretend that this is one blemish on an otherwise spotless record.

tatar's WAS a bad contract, but it ends this year, and buying out kuokkanen is puny. it's not SPOTLESS but it doesn't affect us in 3yrs time

 

[Billdo]

Btw, he’s absolutely going to block young wingers like Gritsyuk and Holtz. The $6 million guy plays, the $6 million guy gets the ice time.

This is such a Glenn Sather move, Fitz needs to go.



No, no it’s not. Not if your GM isn’t a clown. Nichushkin was pending UFA and signed a great contract.

This is nonsense. By the time they're ready Tatar is gone, Johnsson is gone, Haula is gone, who knows what happens with Bastian and Wood at that point.

 

[Jersey Fresh]

saying it one more time here

PENNY PINCHING 6M FOR CONCERNS OF CAP IN 4 YRS, WHERE IT PROBABLY TAKES UP 6.5% OF OUR CAP, IS SILLY

if this is the only "bad contract" then i'd love for us to have that problem in 4 yrs time, presuming we're spending the other 93.5% due to us being a competitor

My concern is mostly the time horizon of the deal more so than the contract itself, but I generally agree with your point.

 

[AfroThunder396]

Tatar is also a bad contract, and we bought out another forward like two days ago. So let’s not pretend that this is one blemish on an otherwise spotless record.

This is insanity, a two year deal is not a bad contract. There's no risk. If we don't want him the second year he can easily be buried.

Explain, in detail, what Tatar's deal has prevented the Devils from doing.

 

[Blackjack]

any comment on my post about the cap? tell me how 6M is that big of a deal, by itself. if you have worries this is the start of a trend though, i get that

Sorry, I’m not ignoring you, just can’t respond to everything.

Because it’s not by itself, it’s sitting next to good, but big contracts to Hughes, Hischier, Hamilton, and presumably Bratt.

The team has drafted early and well, at different points, over the last seven years, and that left them with an abundance of elite young players and prospects. Those are the good contracts, and if we’re ever going to compete with the best teams in the league, we need more of them, and we need to surround them with good value signings and productive ELCs.

This contract WIPES OUT the benefit of the Hischier contract because it expires the same year. We no longer have a bargain $7 million contract. We have Hischier + Palat at $13 million, which is terrible.

 

[Nocashstyle]

Yeah, by retaining and attaching 1st and 2nd round picks to them.

If they need to, so be it. But the Devils are nowhere near cap hell, and once Bratt is extended long term, their core is locked up. Then Hughes, Nemec, Holtz will be on ELCs for a majority on Palat’s contract. Mercer still has two years of ELC.

Everything is going to be okay.

 

[OmNomNom]

My concern is mostly the time horizon of the deal more so than the contract itself, but I generally agree with your point.

that is definitely a fair concern to have

 

[minibrodeur]

I honestly don't understand all this negativity. So I'll share my positive thoughts.

For those worried about contract length we need to keep in mind this is not a Bobrovsky contract. It won't be difficult to move if needed, this happens ALL the time.

As for AAV I'd say this is accurate, taking taxes into consideration he took a 300k raise.. I saw a lot of predictions coming in over 6 so this is no surprise. We have plenty of space, no issues.

We needed different types of players. Nobody on our team is like Palat.

We wanted a veteran with leadership. Um, Palat was an assistant captain on Tampa Bay?

We wanted to improve the PP and Palat has been playing on one of the best PPs in the NHL for the last 5 years. He was the first replacement after Point went down in the playoffs and that PP didn't miss a beat.

Wanted a top 6 winger, Palat is a top 6 winger on the best team in the NHL over the last 3 years.

I'd say pretty good fit.

 

[Devil X]

He’s going to block the Russian guy that isn’t even in North America yet, nor has shown if he’s the real thing, right. Holtz will be playing this season at some point.

You’d think we signed a 35 year old with these posts. Players don’t just combust when they hit 30.

Are you sure? Because thats not the kinda thing I have been hearing around these boards.

 

[Blackjack]

This is insanity, a two year deal is not a bad contract. There's no risk. If we don't want him the second year he can easily be buried.

Explain, in detail, what Tatar's deal has prevented the Devils from doing.

I mean, take your pick, lots of good players went for that price this year. Mason Marchment signed for $4.5.

 

[Devil X]

I honestly don't understand all this negativity. So I'll share my positive thoughts.

For those worried about contract length we need to keep in mind this is not a Bobrovsky contract. It won't be difficult to move if needed, this happens ALL the time.

As for AAV I'd say this is accurate, taking taxes into consideration he took a 300k raise.. I saw a lot of predictions coming in over 6 so this is no surprise. We have plenty of space, no issues.

We needed different types of players. Nobody on our team is like Palat.

We wanted a veteran with leadership. Um, Palat was an assistant captain on Tampa Bay?

We wanted to improve the PP and Palat has been playing on one of the best PPs in the NHL for the last 5 years. He was the first replacement after Point went down in the playoffs and that PP didn't miss a beat.

Wanted a top 6 winger, Palat is a top 6 winger on the best team in the NHL over the last 3 years.

I'd say pretty good fit.

Also it seems the fans from Tampa that have come over were ok with the deal. They wanted to keep him and send someone else out.

 

[OmNomNom]

Sorry, I’m not ignoring you, just can’t respond to everything.

Because it’s not by itself, it’s sitting next to good, but big contracts to Hughes, Hischier, Hamilton, and presumably Bratt.

The team has drafted early and well, at different points, over the last seven years, and that left them with an abundance of elite young players and prospects. Those are the good contracts, and if we’re ever going to compete with the best teams in the league, we need more of them, and we need to surround them with good value signings and productive ELCs.

This contract WIPES OUT the benefit of the Hischier contract because it expires the same year. We no longer have a bargain $7 million contract. We have Hischier + Palat at $13 million, which is terrible.

thanks for the response!

it does offset the benefit of the hischier contract, i do agree with that, but i think an expanding cap should help relieve some of the issues going forward. i think many here agree it's not a great contract by term/AAV, but our cost savings gave us some cushion, to allow us to afford this blunder/overpayment

i think if we're going to wait for perfect trades/deals at UFA, we'll never get anywhere, because we're competing with 31 other teams. in an ideal world, we'd have a rolling set of cheap prospect deals and value RFAs, but we don't have that reality

 

[Nocashstyle]

Sorry, I’m not ignoring you, just can’t respond to everything.

Because it’s not by itself, it’s sitting next to good, but big contracts to Hughes, Hischier, Hamilton, and presumably Bratt.

The team has drafted early and well, at different points, over the last seven years, and that left them with an abundance of elite young players and prospects. Those are the good contracts, and if we’re ever going to compete with the best teams in the league, we need more of them, and we need to surround them with good value signings and productive ELCs.

This contract WIPES OUT the benefit of the Hischier contract because it expires the same year. We no longer have a bargain $7 million contract. We have Hischier + Palat at $13 million, which is terrible.

Lol this makes zero sense. So Hischier will be a UFA the same year Palat’s contract is also up….thus making sure the Devils have room to resign Hischier?

You’re just fishing for reasons to be mad.

 

[Devil X]

I mean, take your pick, lots of good players went for that price this year. Mason Marchment signed for $4.5.

After 1 good season and nothing before that. But people are ok that, because he sub 30 is my guess.

 

[Billdo]

I mean, take your pick, lots of good players went for that price this year. Mason Marchment signed for $4.5.

With way less of a track record...

 

[AfroThunder396]

I mean, take your pick, lots of good players went for that price this year. Mason Marchment signed for $4.5.

To be clear - you're saying that if Tatar wasn't on the roster, we would have signed Mason Marchment? 20M in cap space wasn't enough for him, we needed 25M?

 

[Zajacs Bowl Cut]

I mean, take your pick, lots of good players went for that price this year. Mason Marchment signed for $4.5.

Lol Mason marchment had like 40 good games

What the past few days have taught me is we really have some drama queen fans... Holy cow

 

[Blackjack]

i think if we're going to wait for perfect trades/deals at UFA, we'll never get anywhere, because we're competing with 31 other teams. in an ideal world, we'd have a rolling set of cheap prospect deals and value RFAs, but we don't have that reality

You don’t need the perfect deal, just look for value. That’s what the good GMs do.

This is not value, this is a pointless vanity signing by a gm hoping to save his job.

To be clear - you're saying that if Tatar wasn't on the roster, we would have signed Mason Marchment? 20M in cap space wasn't enough for him, we needed 25M?

I’m saying that they cost the same, and having Tatar’s $4.5 million on the books is a factor in Fitz’s decisions, so let’s not pretend that bad contract didn’t have consequences, just like this much worse one will.

 

[Rhodes 81]

saying it one more time here

PENNY PINCHING 6M FOR CONCERNS OF CAP IN 4 YRS, WHERE IT PROBABLY TAKES UP 6.5% OF OUR CAP, IS SILLY

if this is the only "bad contract" then i'd love for us to have that problem in 4 yrs time, presuming we're spending the other 93.5% due to us being a competitor

I think the 4 years but is such a key here. Assuming Sharangovich doesn't score 40 goals or something stupid, we can realistically afford to keep all our guys until Nemec and Luke come off their ELCs, which looks like it will be 4 years minimum. Moving one year of 36 year old Palat to a rebuilding team at that point won't cost a ton. Or maybe he will be ready to hang it up and we can pull the same LTIR bullshit everyone else does. Or stash someone in LTIR until the playoffs and miraculously they're healed and in game shape. One overpaid player does not ruin your cap unless they're making $10 million+

 

[Blackjack]

Lol Mason marchment had like 40 good games

What the past few days have taught me is we really have some drama queen fans... Holy cow

So you’d rather have Tatar than Marchment?

 

[SteveCangialosi123]

I wanted Marchment but that deal is a bigger risk than this one. Palat is a known quantity. Marchment is a massive unknown and has the profile of someone that won’t age well.

 

[Rhodes 81]

Tatar is also a bad contract, and we bought out another forward like two days ago. So let’s not pretend that this is one blemish on an otherwise spotless record.

Tatar is a great contract, it's 2 years long in a period where we weren't going to be a cap team. It literally couldn't have less impact long term.