Question 3: Can Timo Meier or Jesper Bratt Put Together A $10 Million Performance?
We haven’t spoken much about the Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier contract statuses. That’s because they’ve both been playing well, and the Devils can wait until the offseason to deal with both of them. However, Meier and Bratt could put a lot of pressure on Fitzgerald to open the Harris-Blitzer checkbook with superstar performances in the postseason.
Meier has a little more leverage since he has that $10 million qualifying offer. Can he earn a $10 million contract as an AAV? We can’t see Fitzgerald offering something that hefty, but what if Meier scores 10 postseason goals? He’s already acclimated well with the Devils. He has nine goals in 18 games. He’s already earning a hefty paycheck. A quality playoff performance will have fans screaming for more.
Now Bratt is a different story. We’ve been doing the negotiation with his camp for years. Well, we haven’t. However, we’ve felt the stress of it. Most fans aren’t looking forward to another runaround with Bratt’s agent. However, a huge playoff performance would make it worth it.
Bratt scored the lone goal against the Boston Bruins on Saturday night. He’s been prone to do that as of late. He’s really turned it on, and if he can continue to stay hot going into the playoffs, he could be a key component of the Devils advance.