It's certainly better than actually having gone through with the arbitration hearing. Now at least the Devils will be in a much different position cap-wise to offer an extension and they will also have another chance to see if last year was a fluke or if Bratt is legitimately a top-line winger.
Confirmed with Link: Arbitration Avoided, Bratt Signs for 1 year, $5.45 million
- Thread starter Better Call Sal
- Start date
JimEIV
Registered User
- Feb 19, 2003
- 66,253
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Nah... nothing changes after this year... I mean the idea that we are waiting for cap space to open is nonsense. You can structure any deal to make it work for both the player and the org right now.
Only thing that changes next summer is Jesper is just a little closer to UFA
It's good that they avoided arbitration but now they have to come back and do this again next year.
They've now blown 3 RFA years with Bratt where the savings they're getting just hasn't mattered much. Hopefully he has a big season this year and they get to sign him to a good long-term deal.
This is flat out wrong, the Devils don't have cap room right now, they could not do 8x8 right now without e.g. hoping that Johnsson gets claimed on waivers.
They've now blown 3 RFA years with Bratt where the savings they're getting just hasn't mattered much. Hopefully he has a big season this year and they get to sign him to a good long-term deal.
This is flat out wrong, the Devils don't have cap room right now, they could not do 8x8 right now without e.g. hoping that Johnsson gets claimed on waivers.
No. He still would've been an RFA but the Devils wouldn't have been able to negotiate an extension under 1/1/23.
SpeakingOfTheDevils
Devils Advocate
This isn't a bad outcome, given Bratt's RFA status next summer.
For the sake of all parties, I hope Bratt kills it this year, and Fitz gives him his bag. And they all lived happily ever after.
If Bratt has a down year? We will be pulling teeth - and maybe some fingernails - next summer.
For the sake of all parties, I hope Bratt kills it this year, and Fitz gives him his bag. And they all lived happily ever after.
If Bratt has a down year? We will be pulling teeth - and maybe some fingernails - next summer.
MakoSlade
Registered User
Seems a very team friendly deal, but in the current environment could work out for Bratt. No team has cap space now, not even the Devils who have managed the cap among the best in the league. Cap should go up next year, Devils have most of the key players signed long term, and Tartar and Johnsson come off the books. If Brat has another dominant season, he will cash in big time.
DevilDog
The Original Dog
Agreed. But if Bratt has a down year then maybe we shouldn't be screaming for Fitz to back up the Brinks truck for him?
TrufleShufle
Registered User
- Aug 31, 2012
- 7,893
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A lot changes next year no matter what. We either find out this year was a fluke for Bratt, or it wasn't. One side 100% will be able to slap there hand on the table next year and say "see? this is why I wanted the contract to be this much."
Yes they could've as it's almost certain that Bernier's $4.125M cap hit winds up on LTIR at least to start the season.
glenwo2
LINDY RUFF NEEDS VIAGRA!!
Exactly.
This deal gives Fitz and Bratt/JOKE'im the opportunity to try and hammer out a deal in the meantime with no restrictions like that 1/1/23 date.
We'll see what happens in the coming days...weeks....months....
yeah.
Guadana
Registered User
I'm ok with it. Everybody just overreacting. We can trade him, we can sign him long term after, we can sign him 3-4 years deal, we can sign him another one one year deal and trade. Sometimes its harder than we want. F4ck Bratt's agent.
Mgd31
Registered User
At least Bratt can't go home to Minnesota or somewhere next offseason
Guadana
Registered User
Congrats its done. Its not the worse case scenario. I know that was hard for you. Hope our guy will change his agent.
The reality is that there is a very small chance that they are hammering out a deal before the new year. But at least that artificial barrier is gone.
Emperoreddy
Show Me What You Got!
We don't know the specifics still but the obvious guess is Bratt's team wanted a high number to sign with term and Fitz wasn't meeting it. Whatever that number was.
Bratt has a repeat season then any doubts Fitz had in paying him should be gone and they will have more cap space to easily come close or hit the number his side wants.
Bratt has a repeat season then any doubts Fitz had in paying him should be gone and they will have more cap space to easily come close or hit the number his side wants.
glenwo2
LINDY RUFF NEEDS VIAGRA!!
RangerDoggo
The Devils have a culture of failure
It's not almost certain that it does. If they throw Johnsson on waivers and he gets claimed, LTIR is avoided. In the scenario of 8x8, you're looking at $84.6M with Wood, at 13/7/2 with one of the 7 being Okhotiuk or Bahl, so you're short a roster spot and have Bernier on LTIR, and there's not a lot of room left. It's not where the Devils want to be.
The positive I can take away from this is he was already deserving of 8 and I don’t see any realistic year upping that price by much if a long term deal were to end up getting done. This does absolutely nothing to ease my anxiety over how we’re just going to go through this same song and dance in a year
glenwo2
LINDY RUFF NEEDS VIAGRA!!
I know you're not being patronizing on purpose but...man...
TrufleShufle
Registered User
- Aug 31, 2012
- 7,893
- 12,378
Yea, I would feel the same way if I was so publicly and confidently incorrect.
ninetyeight
Registered User
That's not how it works, contract structures only affect the payment side, the aav stays the same no matter what the structure. If Bratt had signed a 7+m deal, one or more contracts would have needed to be unloaded.
