Devils negotiations with their top free agent could sour their relationship
The New Jersey Devils and their leading scorer from this season Jesper Bratt have filed their desired salaries for the winger. The two parties have come in at $2.35 million apart ahead of his arbitration hearing on August 3rd.
The Devils filed for a $4.15 million salary for Bratt, while he submitted $6.5 million. Bratt previously made $2.75 million a year on a two year contract, and is looking for a big pay raise after a career year.
Bratt put up almost a point-per-game pace this season with 26 goals and 73 points in 76 games. Despite juggling the season with Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, and Dawson Mercer as his centers, Bratt was always producing.
Bratt's agent Joakim Persson is known for some pretty serious negotiations. The Devils have been here before. The last time Bratt and the Devils were negotiating, Bratt didn't sign on the dotted line until very late in training camp. That wouldn't be the biggest problem if it wasn't a pandemic. It was a pandemic, and Bratt got stuck in Sweden and couldn't return to America in time for the start of the season.
It will be interesting to see what the outcome will be. Bratt has been on Frank Seravalli's Trade Targets list in the past, but currently isn't, and Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald has said that they won't trade Bratt either. That may be the case now, but relationships are usually tarnished in arbitration hearings. Perhaps the two parties push to come to an agreement before the hearing, especially with the new rule that once the hearing starts, they can't turn back.
| POLL | ||
What contract will Jesper Bratt end up signing with the New Jersey Devils? | ||
| 5 years x $6.5 | 24 | 22.4 % |
| 6 years x $7 | 17 | 15.9 % |
| 2 years x $5.5 | 45 | 42.1 % |
| Ends up getting traded | 21 | 19.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
