New Jersey Devils: 3 Scenarios For Jesper Bratt Contract Negotiations

One of the biggest priorities this season is re-signing Jesper Bratt. There are a ton of free agents, both restricted and unrestricted. Bratt and Timo Meier are the two most important. The New Jersey Devils might have more than $30 million in cap space, but more than half their room is going to the two star wingers.

Bratt’s negotiations have always been torturous. They are long, drawn out, and painful every time. There have only been two of them, but each has put Devils fans through a special type of hurt. Each time it works out, but as the team looks at another offseason with an expiring Bratt contract, this time will be different.

There is no world where the Devils accept another short-term deal. They did that twice in order to have Bratt prove himself just a little more. Last year could have been a one-hit-wonder. Three years ago, he hadn’t proven anything. Now, he has two 73-point seasons under his belt. Still, this won’t be easy. It will go one of three ways.

Easy, Peasy, Lemon Squeezy

The Devils and Bratt probably both want this. An easy, smooth negotiation to find common ground relieves a lot of stress and allows both parties to move on to more pressing needs. Unfortunately, there are some caveats with this option. There is no way an easy negotiation leads to an eight-year deal. This is more like a five-year deal.

Still, most would trade a few years to make this contract a lot easier. If Bratt signs a five-year deal for say $7.5 million, that’s an ideal situation. Bratt gets to go back to free agency, this time unrestricted free agency, at 29 years old. The Devils get to pay Bratt through his prime. It’s a win-win. However, both sides will want more.