:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/71203967/1394648318.0.jpg "Jesper Bratt contract: Devils, LW avoid arbitration with one-year, .45 million deal")
Left wing Jesper Bratt has signed a one-year, $5.45 million contract with the New Jersey Devils.
Bratt spent the first five seasons of his career with the Devils. He led the team in goals (26), assists (47) and points (73). His 76 games are the most in a single season of his career. He set career marks in nearly every offense category making a strong case for a big contract. The Devils finished in seventh place in the Metropolitan Divison in the Eastern Conference and missed out on the playoffs.
The 23-year-old is coming off the second contract of his young career. He had a three-year entry-level contract that expired after the 2019-2020 season. The Devils then gave him his first standard contract, which was two years and worth $5.5 million. Bratt was still a restricted free agent so his potential contract was limited. New Jersey decided to bridge Bratt.
There had been rumors throughout the offseason that the Devils were exploring some avenues to trade Bratt. Instead, the Devils keep the forward in hopes he can grow chemistry with centers Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier as the core for New Jersey. The Devils are getting to a point where they need to see results in the rebuild, that has seemingly taken a decade.