Timo Meier trade: Why Sharks dealt their leading goal-scorer to Devils ahead of deadline
It was no secret that the Sharks were dangling Timo Meier ahead of the March 3 NHL trade deadline and the sweepstakes would not get to the end.
The Devils swooped in and struck a deal for Meier on Sunday, adding a top-scoring scorer to their offense before hoping for a deep playoff run in the spring.
New Jersey seems to have struck at the right time. The Devils have a playoff berth firmly in their grip at 39-15-5 (83 points) and are three points behind the Metropolitan Division lead.
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With only one playoff appearance in the last 10 seasons, the Devils are going all-in this season. With Meier, they immediately upgraded their offensive. The Sharks, on the other hand, are playing the rest of the season without their leading scorer.
It’s easy to see why the Devils would make the trade, but parting ways with a core player might not have been easy for San Jose. Because of this, the Sharks Meier acted before the deadline.
Why the sharks traded Timo Meier
Meier and Tomas Hertl helped take the torch from Sharks legends Patrick Marleau and Joe Thornton, but San Jose was a frequent playoff team during the Marleau and Thornton eras. The results just haven’t been there for the franchise lately.
The Sharks (18-30-12, 48 points) are on track to miss the playoffs for a fourth straight season and have their worst point percentage since 1996-97.
First-year general manager Mike Grier faced a difficult decision for Meier, who is scheduled to be a restricted free agent in the summer.
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San Jose probably wouldn’t have lost Meier in the offseason without compensation, but his trade value was at its peak now. Meier has scored 31 goals in 57 games after posting a career-best 76 points last season.
In addition, the prospect of a long-term extension did not seem promising. Reports from last summer suggested the organization had made no progress on a new deal and Meier’s agent Claude Lemieux said in January the two sides had not discussed an extension during the season.
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TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reported in January that Meier’s next contract is expected to be worth at least $9 million a year. Ultimately, Grier opted to recoup value for the 26-year-old rather than embark on a massive deal.
The deal will allow Grier to partially reset a franchise that needs changing. He is gaining financial flexibility and trading returns are expected to provide him with assets that will help accelerate this shift.
Sunday’s trading was undoubtedly difficult for Grier but it is the latest sign that times are changing for the franchise under Grier and new trainer David Quinn.
Timo Meier contract details
According to LeBrun, the trade does not include an extension of Meier’s contract. LeBrun reports that the Devils are “comfortable” closing the deal without an extension.
Meier is in the final year of a four-year, $24 million contract ($6 million cap). The Sharks reportedly keep 50 percent of Meier’s remaining salary.
Meier is set to become a restricted free agent this summer. The Devils are in a strong position to keep him as they can match other clubs’ offer sheets.