Devils sign Bratt to 8-year, $63M contract

The New Jersey Devils signed restricted free-agent forward Jesper Bratt to an eight-year contract carrying an average annual value of $7.875 million, the team announced Thursday.

He signed a pair of bridge deals after his entry-level contract before landing a long-term pact. His previous contract was a one-year agreement worth $5.45 million, and he's now the Devils' third-highest-paid player behind Dougie Hamilton ($9 million AAV) and Jack Hughes ($8 million).

Bratt has produced back-to-back 73-point campaigns and recorded a career-high 32 goals in 2022-23. He was a central figure as New Jersey made the playoffs for the first time since 2018 this past season.

"It was always a priority to keep Jesper Bratt here long term and both parties are thrilled that a deal was completed," general manager Tom Fitzgerald said in a statement. "I value and commend the commitment Jesper made to this organization. We believe that he is a special player and a key member of our core group of talent who will contribute towards the team's long-term success and organizational goal of bringing the Stanley Cup back to New Jersey."

The Devils drafted the Sweden native 162nd overall in 2016.

New Jersey has more than $26 million in cap space after Bratt's new deal, according to CapFriendly. However, the Devils only have 13 players signed for next season. Prized trade-deadline acquisition Timo Meier headlines a list of key RFAs that also includes Michael McLeod, Yegor Sharangovich, Jesper Boqvist, and Mackenzie Blackwood.