Dano on NHL Network “This deal was on the table months ago. So he finally came to his senses.”
Jesper Bratt will be spending the next eight seasons in the Garden State.
How would you grade the contract for Bratt and the @NJDevils? @EJHradek_NHL | @KenDaneykoMSG | @Rupper17 | #NJDevils | #NHLNow pic.twitter.com/7pPGjo9EyL
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) June 15, 2023
by mustachiolong
6 Comments
Interesting little segment on Bratt’s extension. Seems Dano was a little annoyed by the situation and it shows. I’m curious what changed Bratt’s mind? Did Fitzy maybe give an ultimatum saying if you don’t sign this then we’re trading you? Who knows glad it’s over though.
Maybe his lackluster playoff performance brought him down to earth
Hindsight is 20/20, but especially in his exit interview you could tell Jesper was tired of the negotiation talk. And if this deal actually was there months ago, I think it’s very possible that Jesper has been wanting to take it and his agent has been lobbying for him to wait. Even his agent’s statement seemed weirdly muted, almost as if he was partly disappointed
But regardless of the why, I think Jesper deserves credit here because the bottom line is he took less money than he could have squeezed us for. He’s taken a lot of flack from fans about being selfish, but this is a team-first move that you don’t see all that often in pro sports anymore. This squad wants titles and I am AMPED.
Good on Dano
It’s pretty ludicrous to criticize a professional athlete for approaching things the way Bratt did. Do people understand how much these kind of decisions impact their lives?
Watched this earlier and there was so much about it that struck me as strange. I expected it to be celebratory, but Dano seems to be genuinely annoyed with Bratt. Which, sure I guess, it was a frustrating negotiation. But the day Bratt signs seems like a weird time to air that frustration. And to say “where he slots, this is a good offer” about a guy who plays on Jack’s wing and the top pp unit also seemed strange, because his role on the team is huge. He was the team’s second leading goal scorer and was basically the driving force behind the team during the win streak. Where he slots is presumably why he was seeking more.
And then Hradek suggesting the $ amount was high when this is pretty much right in line with projections about what his contract might look like and lower than some models said he was worth (this video cuts out before Daneyko comments on that, he does mention that he knows some analytics guys were saying he was worth closer to 8.5, but basically just dismisses it and says Bratt should be happy with what he got).
Dano played for two decades, won three Cups, and over his career made $15 million. I wonder if part of it is just resentment that a young, sixth-round pick with two good seasons would dare be reluctant to take more than four times his career earnings in one deal.
Anyway, I’m glad Rupp was there. Felt like he was the one providing the rational context (which I guess just means that he’s the one I agreed with). Bratt’s a big part of the team, he likely could’ve gotten more if he tried, and it’s good for him and the team that he didn’t. Psyched this is done with now, and Fitz continues his run of being really fucking good at his job. Only question remaining for me is, who the fuck is Yosper Brott?