As the NHL’s trade deadline approaches, one of the hottest names on the market has been San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier. As the Sharks are in the midst of a rebuild and are one of the worst teams in the league, they are likely to deal one of the players (alongside Erik Karlsson) that could yield them the highest return.
Several teams have expressed a strong desire in acquiring Meier, creating somewhat of a bidding war for the 26-year-old. Here are some of the teams that have expressed strong interest in Timo Meier.
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Toronto Maple Leafs
While reports are suggesting that the Toronto Maple Leafs are one of the teams who have expressed significant interest in Timo Meier, conflicting reports suggest that Kyle Dubas is not looking for a big name or a rent-a-player. This means Meier could be considering the offer sheet on his deal. “In regards to rentals, I can’t see that happening,” Dubas said.
“But with regards to other options, I don’t think you say no off the hop to anything. But those are very important pieces to us now and in the future,” he said in a rather vague quote to Sportsnet. “The larger focus is always on the bigger names, but we have to look at the people who may improve us overall and not just the big names per se.”
Of course, the 30-goal scorer is a huge addition to any team. He could be an important piece for the Leafs down the stretch, as they’ve all but stamped their ticket to the postseason. It’s just a matter of the San Jose Sharks’ asking price.
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New Jersey Devils
Some consider the Devils to be the top contender for Timo Meier, and their interest could have piqued following the news of Jack Hughes’ injury. Meier slots into a youthful top six that includes Jesper Bratt, who has really come into his own. The key in New Jersey is that it also has a ton of salary coming off the books at the end of the year (including $2.28 million in buried penalty for Andreas Johnsson) and a bunch of pending UFAs, from Miles Wood to Tomas Tatar, that the club could choose not to resign.
That means they could match San Jose’s offer sheet and snag Meier for a long-term deal, if they’re willing to lose some current pieces.
What’s more, they have a ton of young prospects and players to trade away, a significant portion of which are restricted free agents. In fact, the Devils are so interested in Timo Meier that they requested a final shot in trade talks, which could be what solidifies the acquisition.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Hurricanes could be back in trade talks with Max Pacioretty landing himself on IR again, giving his club a ton of cap room to play with. A young, 30-goal scorer like Timo Meier could pad the Hurricanes as they look to the off-season, and be a strong piece in the playoffs. Meier could slot into a strong top six that includes Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov, each of whom have already proven their ability to find the back of the net.
What’s more, the Canes have one of the best defenses in the league, and solid goaltending. They already have a solid lock on first place in the Metropolitan Division, and adding Timo Meier could make them a real force to be reckoned with.
In return (and in order to snag some cap space), the Hurricanes have young players like Seth Jarvis, Dylan Coghlan and Jalen Chatfield to offer, as well as veterans (and pending UFAs) like Jesper Fast and Paul Statsny as options.