New Jersey Devils: 3 Acceptable Trade Packages for Jesper Bratt
We are officially in trade season because the rumors are flying off the walls. It has been a weird season for the New Jersey Devils so they are going to be one of the more interesting teams heading into the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline.
They are a team that wants to begin moving out of the rebuild phase soon and that is heavily dependent on the development of the core that they have built. Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt, and Nico Hischier have been the leaders of that.
Guys like Yegor Sharangovich, Dawson Mercer, and Ty Smith have all had their moments as well. There are also prospects like Alex Holtz and Luke Hughes on the way as well. This team might not be as bad in the future as people think.
One of the truly great stories of the bunch is that of Jesper Bratt. He was a sixth-round pick that came into the league unexpectedly and was never forced out. He has been a productive player from the minute he stepped into the New Jersey Devils lineup.
The New Jersey Devils should really avoid trading someone like Jesper Bratt.
Now, the rumors are suggesting that Bratt might be available before the NHL Trade Deadline comes. He is an RFA this year and could make a lot of money when it is all said and done. His next deal could make him a very rich man.
Despite the risk that entails, New Jersey needs to do anything they can to avoid trading him. He has been everything they have needed and more this year. The only way a trade involving Bratt would be worth it is if it looks something like this:
The New Jersey Devils need to land something big if they trade Jesper Bratt.
The trade is one for one. That is a line that New Jersey Devils fans will always remember as it makes them think of a trade involving them and a team from Western Canada. This time, it could be Jesper Bratt going to the Vancouver Canucks in exchange for Quinn Hughes.
This would be a monumental deal for not only the New Jersey Devils but the National Hockey League in general. It would mean that all three Hughes brothers would be in the same organization.
Two of the three, Jack and Quinn, are already established NHL stars. Luke Hughes is having a historic season at the University of Michigan so he doesn’t seem to be far behind. Once they are all in the National Hockey League, it should be so cool to watch. He should be in the NHL soon enough.
For Bratt, going to the Vancouver Canucks would certainly be interesting. He would have a chance to play with Elias Petterson who is one of the better Swedish players in the NHL. The two countrymen would probably really enjoy playing with one another on a young team. Vancouver needs a change before they can take a big step as well.
The New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks could make multiple Bratt trades.
The New Jersey Devils and Vancouver Canucks could make multiple Jesper Bratt trades that make sense for both teams. Nobody knows who would be actually interested in making a deal like this but it is certainly fun to think about. Bratt would fit into their system well.
The Devils really need help with goaltending. All of the sudden, people aren’t convinced that Mackenzie Blackwood isn’t the future of this team in net. Jonathan Bernier is a solid backup but he is really hurt right now and won’t be back for a while. Beyond that, there are just question marks.
One goalie who doesn’t appear to be a question mark at all is Thatcher Demko. He is a very good goalie that is probably going to make a lot of money in the future. Vancouver also has 22-year-old Mike DiPietro in the system waiting to become an NHL goalie. Jaroslav Halak serves as the backup.
If they want to move into the DiPietro era as they try to retool their young roster around their current cap issues, letting Demko go could be a good idea. They will have to pay Bratt in the future but that is a later problem.
There could be draft compensation going either way to even out the trade. Nobody is getting a first-round pick out of this deal, and Canucks fans and Devils fans probably think they are entitled to the extra pieces. This does solve a lot of problems for both teams.
The New Jersey Devils should really try and land a good goaltender soon.
Roberto Luongo played for the aforementioned Vancouver Canucks for a very long time and was very good there. He was also good during his time with the Florida Panthers as well. Speaking of Florida Panthers goalies, they currently have two at very different points of their careers.
Sergei Bobrovsky is having a somewhat surprising season right now and the Panthers are one of the best teams in the NHL as a result. He has two Vezina Trophies to his name so the reason that is surprising is because of the fact that he has been only okay or bad over the last few years.
Spencer Knight is the other goalie. He is having a tough year in terms of his numbers but he has won some games with this elite team playing in front of him. He has certainly played less than people would have guessed after how last year went.
He might be on the trading block right now if they can get something notable back. The former first-round pick has a high ceiling in the NHL but it is going to take a while to reach that ceiling. The Devils could provide him with the opportunity.
If the Panthers landed Jesper Bratt in a deal like this, it would be totally worth it for them if Bobrovsky continues to play as he has. Sending over a first-round pick (almost certainly a late first) is needed because of the fact that he hasn’t had the best season. They don’t have their 2022 first to trade so it would have to be 2023 which is better anyway.
Related Story. Should the Devils bring in another goalie?. light
We have no idea if there is any truth to these Bratt rumors but they sure are interesting. It would be a very bad idea to trade him unless they landed a haul like the trades presented here. Unless it is something like that, keep your leading scorer.