New Jersey Devils: Will Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt Sign Team-Friendly Deals?
Are Timo Meier and Jesper Bratt going to be team players? Following an improbable 2022-23 season, the New Jersey Devils have optimism, a bright future, and two huge players to resign. One is Timo Meier, who was acquired at the Trade Deadline; the other is 2016 sixth-round pick Jesper Bratt. Both of these players set career highs in goals and look to cash in on that. Those in the Devils front office and fanbase hope the two will return. Do both… or either player want to sign with the Devils long term? Let’s dive in.
Timo Meier
All signs are pointing to Timo Meier wanting to return to New Jersey. From the moment he came over in March, that was the belief. Recently a video was circulating of Meier, back home in Switzerland, training in full Devils gear. Upon his arrival, Meier was showered with love and appreciation. Not too long after the trade, Meier, Nico Hischier, Jonas Siegenthaler, and Akira Schmid received an award from the Swiss government in New York City.
During the playoffs, Meier didn’t light up the scoresheet. What Meier was able to do was still as important as statistics. Constantly being a pest towards the Rangers and their goalie Igor Shesterkin in particular, Meier was being productive without having the puck go into the net.
Fast forward to this offseason, and a big decision looms. How much money, and how many years will the Swiss forward want? With a $10 million qualifying offer in the Devils’ back pocket, we know he’ll be here next year, barring a catastrophic incident.
That isn’t enough. Tom Fitzgerald and Devils fans don’t want this to drag on for multiple seasons. From the jump, Timo Meier has seemed like he wants New Jersey to be home. For that reason, signing a team-friendly deal, like so many other Devils, is a very likely possibility. All of these reasons are why I think Meier will be a Devil long term. Timo Meier wants to be a part of this core, and somehow someway, the front office will make that happen.
Jesper Bratt
The playoff performance of Bratt was largely the same as Meier’s. The only difference? Bratt was nonexistent for most of the Devils two series.
Throughout the year, Bratt had his brilliance and very long cold streaks. In November, he would’ve been a safe bet to be the Devils highest-paid player going into next season. Now? Very few people want him to make more money than Jack Hughes’ $8 million a season. While Timo Meier comes off as a team first, “I want to be here” player, Bratt has the fanbase feeling a different way.
Jesper Bratt and his management have been dragging their feet on a long-term deal in New Jersey for years now. One way or another, Bratt will get paid this summer. Money will be left on the table in some form with Jesper Bratt. Should he re-sign, it will likely be less than what he’d get on the open market. If Bratt leaves the Devils, it will be because they didn’t offer him his desired amount.
The evidence points to him wanting what’s in his best interest contract-wise. There is no problem with that. That is a key reason why the Devils front office has to really evaluate his willingness to be a part of the future.
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Verdict on Timo and Bratt
Unless all reports about Timo Meier were wrong, he should be a New Jersey Devil for a long time. Jesper Bratt will likely go through every possible move in the offseason but will remain a Devil for $7-7.5 million per year. Should both players be willing to sacrifice a little salary-wise, that money can be made up with future playoff runs. It’ll be very interesting to see how both players handle this big decision, and how much Tom Fitzgerald will be willing to give out.