The New Jersey Devils have already gotten off to a decent start to the offseason. One of Tom Fitzgerald’s main priorities was to re-sign left winger Jesper Bratt to a lengthy extension. Last week both parties were able to come to an agreement, as Bratt signed an eight-year, $63 million deal. Prior to him signing his extension, this was the third time within the past four years that Bratt didn’t have a deal lined up going into next season.
Pucks and Pitchforks had the chance to speak with both Bratt and Fitzgerald during their recent media availability after the extension was made official. Bratt is ready to move forward and help the Devils win more games in the future.
"“Obviously, I’m very happy with the decision,” Bratt said. “I do think that throughout the whole negotiating [process], this was the right path to go on. At the end of the day, we [Fitzgerald and I] ended up where we wanted to be. Even if I signed a two-year or a one-year contract in the past, this was always the main goal. It was never the intention of not trusting the process in New Jersey…I now get the chance to really grow together with this team and build something successful over time.”"
Check out the full discussion on one of the latest episodes of Locked On Devils:
Since the young core of Bratt, Jack Hughes, and Nico Hischier are all signed long-term, the Devils’ window of possibly winning a Stanley Cup opens even more. Those are the three players that the Devils are going to build their roster around, with Hughes and Hischier obviously being the main centerpieces.
People shouldn’t underestimate Bratt and his overall impact. Bratt became the first Devils player since Zach Parise (2008-09 to 2009-10) to earn 70 or more points in consecutive seasons. Fitzgerald has constructed his blueprint quite nicely and has big expectations going forward.
"” Expectations have been set,” Fitzgerald said. “It’s go time. Are we going to be a 112-point team again? Well, that’s pretty hard to do. Our goal is to play the best hockey we can possibly play for 82 games, get into the playoffs, and push for a Stanley Cup like everybody else. As we continue to mature as a group, the most important things is watching the core grow and develop…We got some good kids and now we’re watching our kids turn into men, and that’s exciting.”"
Despite his struggles in the playoffs, Bratt still has a lot of upside. A lot teams would love to have a player who is capable of scoring 70+ points ever season. It seems as though Bratt’s best years are right in front of him, and he has some good momentum heading his way.