I would agree that NJD should be VERY involved this summer for Forsberg. From the NJD point of view this would be a far better option than trading away assets for Alex Debrincat. Even if you needed to pay an extra $1M...you still have Holtz and the current projected #5OA pick to come in at the ELC rate for Holtz today...and another ELC rate for that #5 pick down the road. Just a much better option if you ask me.

If the devils sign the 27 year old guy shooting 20.5% to a 9M deal I'll be real disappointed.

Just seems like a real bad move.

Season-over-season stats: https://www.naturalstattrick.com/playerreport.php?fromseason=20192020&thruseason=20192020&stype=2&sit=all&stdoi=std&rate=n&v=p&playerid=8476887

Why are you saying 27 like it's a bad thing? lol. At 9M he's maybe overpaid by a million or 2 max, you can live with that.

If you apply his career shooting percentage to this year he would still be point per game and on pace for over 30 goals. He would also very likely become a better goal scorer playing on a line with Hughes. He is consistently very good and NJ desperately lacks finishers.

Put Forsberg on a line with Hughes and Jack will erupt into the superstar Devils fans know he is with a 100 point season. Just needs to stay healthy. Would love to see it. Jack Hughes is my favorite non Blackhawk player easily. That 2nd line is pretty nasty too.

My thoughts exactly, Sharangovich and Mercer are fine but we should be looking to give him as much help as possible and bring in an elite winger.

I like the 6-year term, but the $9 million is a little much.

The last former Predator we got for $9 million didn’t work out as well. And that was just got 3 years.

I think NJD should offer something like 6y x $7.5 million with little bonus and more back-ended type deal.

I linked these in another thread today, but 27 is a bad thing because he'd be 28 for game one of this new "overpaid by 1M or 2M deal", which is 4 years past the typical "peak" for NHLers and 3 years before significant falloff is seen. So he'd be overpaid from day one and it would only get worse. There's lots of aging curve work out there, but Micah's McCurdy's work is here

Also, looking at his WAR/xWAR numbers on Evolving Hockey, from 18-19 until 20-21 he was a 67% player. This year? 99%. and it's such a strong outlier that it brings his 3-year percentile starting in 19-20 to 98th percentile. I'd be extremely wary, even outside the shooting percentage.

Bratt is an elite winger and the hope would be Holtz becomes one, but having two or three definetly doesn't hurt

That's fair but I'd argue 3 years of elite hockey from him is worth it, especially considering how it would elevate Hughes' game. At worst you get stuck with that contract for like 2 years at the end? That doesn't kill you. I'd bet he's still somewhat productive in those later years too.

If the devils have numbers indicating that he's more likely to be closer to the guy he's been this season compared to the guy he was the previous three, then yes. The (likely) 3 years of elite play with 2 years of "eh" to "bad" are probably worth it. But you have to be confident in that assumption. That's why I'm cautious and, while in general opposed to nearly all expensive UFAs, would prefer JG to Forsberg. He's done it at this level more consistently and for longer.

He stays in Nashville unless its more than 8x8 in my opinion

My thing with Gaudreau is he's another midget and he likely gets 2M more than Forsberg, also a year older (exactly lol). Not to say Forsberg is some beast power forward but with Hughes, JG, Bratt we probably have the smallest / softest top 6 in the league.

My thing with Gaudreau is he's another midget and he likely gets 2M more than Forsberg, also a year older (exactly lol). Not to say Forsberg is some beast power forward but with Hughes, JG, Bratt we probably have the smallest / softest top 6 in the league.

My thing with Gaudreau is he's another midget and he likely gets 2M more than Forsberg, also a year older (exactly lol). Not to say Forsberg is some beast power forward but with Hughes, JG, Bratt we probably have the smallest / softest top 6 in the league.

I think size is overrated. Its like the old scouts from book "Moneyball". Most skill players are on smaller side. Guys like Matthews, Barkov are rare.

That said, we are the 3rd tallest team in league and 5th heaviest team in league (per Elite Prospects). We are just young.

Put Forsberg on a line with Hughes and Jack will erupt into the superstar Devils fans know he is with a 100 point season. Just needs to stay healthy. Would love to see it. Jack Hughes is my favorite non Blackhawk player easily. That 2nd line is pretty nasty too.

Nashville is the only team that can offer 8 years unless they trade his rights.
I understand what you saying...but I just don't think many wingers should get that kind of money.

GM's have learned since the 2016 massacre

Mason Geertsen carrying

Nashville will offer 8x8 at least I would think, maybe they go to 8.5. Probably takes 8.5-9.5 x 7 to get Forsberg away from NSH. Wingers are going to get paid this summer. Johnny Hockey probably gets 9-10 himself

But there are many pressures on the system that will depress spending in off-season.

1. While overall salary-cap went up 3% last year, it’s only supposed to go up 1% the next two years.

2. LTIR reform - even the threat of LTIR - is going to make risk-adverse GM’s hesitant in big deals.

3. The flow of ELCs is becoming a little less reliable since the under-scouted, COVID year draftees are now coming to age.

4. Inflation is a very real problem for owners as they cannot raise ticket prices without economic impact or alter TV deals.

5. Owners took the brunt of COVID, they will want to slow salary growth until they are 50/50 again.