Jesper Bratt's Arbitration Filings Released, Two Sides Remain Far Apart

Salary arbitration is an ugly affair that can often times sour relationships between players & the organizations they represent. When two sides can't agree on a deal, they are forced to present their cases before a neutral third-party who picks the deal. The player's agent sells his player's case for more money. The team, on the other hand, tells the player's camp everything they hate about him; any shortcomings they can find to use against the player, they will use it to save a few dollars.

The New Jersey Devils find themselves on the cusp of an arbitration hearing with F Jesper Bratt, scheduled for Wednesday, August 3rd. Per Elliotte Friedman, the arbitration filings show that Bratt's camp wants $6.5M, and the team submitted an offer of $4.15M.

Bratt, 24, just came off a career season, in which he scored 73 points in 76 games. The former sixth-round pick has turned out to be one of the biggest draft steals in the last 6 years, sporting some of the best underlying numbers in the NHL:

Simply put, the Devils offer of $4.15M per season is an absolute joke. Many Devils' fans have opined that Bratt's agent was the cause for the contract dispute, but seeing this number from the team perfectly explains the absence of a deal.

A 24-year old, point-per-game sixth-round pick with top-tier analytics should be a top priority for a long-term deal. Especially with the core NJ is building, Bratt should be top of the list of contracts to sign. ESPN's Greg Wyshynski reports that the Devils have submitted a long-term deal for 'significant dollars' & are waiting for a counter-offer:

There is considerable speculation that Bratt & his agent simply do not want to sign long-term, giving Bratt the option for unrestricted free agency in two years, which is where the big-big money is. Should be interesting...

The arbitration hearing, as mentioned, is set for Wednesday, August 3rd. Since Bratt elected for arbitration, the team gets to choose the term of the deal; one or two years. So expect the Devils to choose a one-year term, giving them one last chance to sign him long-term & avoid walking Bratt to UFA status.

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