The Stanley Cup Playoffs are in full force, but it’s the offseason for the New Jersey Devils. So, this means general manager Tom Fitzgerald has to start making moves to plug holes on the roster and improve the team. This summer, one of his top priorities is to re-sign Jesper Bratt, who is a restricted free agent (RFA).
So, what could Bratt’s extension look like? What does he deserve? What are some good comparable to use in forecasting this new deal? Let’s investigate.
Bratt’s Career So Far
To get a better understanding of who Bratt is similar to, and therefore what kind of contract he may get, we need to take a look at his career so far. Jesper Bratt is a 23 year old, 5’10” and 175 pound forward who has five years of NHL experience. He plays left and right wing and has posted 0.66 points-per-game throughout his career. He had a career-year this season, notching 73 points in 76 games to lead the team in scoring.
Possible Comparable Contracts
Based on this information, here are three similar players who posted similar numbers in their contract-year to Jesper Bratt this season:
Teuvo Terovainen
Terovainen and Bratt had remarkably similar seasons in their contract years, posting 71 and 76 points (adjusted to a full 82-game season), respectively. Terovainen signed a five-year deal with a $5,400,000 average annual value (AAV) with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2019.
Travis Konecny
Konecny also posted similar numbers to Bratt in his contract-year, scoring 73 adjusted points. He signed a six-year deal with a $5,500,000 AAV with the Philadelphia Flyers in 2019.
J.T. Miller
Miller’s numbers, while still similar to Bratt’s, are not as similar as Konecy’s and Terovainen’s. That said, Miller had a career-year this season, putting up 99 points. This is something Bratt may be able to achieve given time, a good Devils’ team, and the increasing goal trend. Miller signed a five-year deal with a $5,250,000 AAV in 2018.
Projecting the Deal
Based on these similar situations, a deal in the six-to-eight year range worth anywhere between $6,000,000 to $6,500,000 seems realistic. As you can see, these are on the higher-end of the above mentioned possible comparable deals. This due to not only Bratt’s unreal on-ice impacts, but also given how the market has changed since some of these previous contracts.
Bratt became a fan favorite last year and is vital to the Devils’ offense. Getting Bratt’s extension squared away should be at the top of Tom Fitzgerald’s to do list.
Note, all statistics are via Stathead and all contracts are via CapFriendly.