The San Jose Sharks have traded star ahead Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils.
Along with Meier, San Jose despatched ahead Timur Ibragimov, defensemen Scott Harrington and Santeri Hatakka, goaltender Zachary Emond, and a 2023 fifth-round decide to New Jersey. The Sharks are additionally retaining 50% of Meier’s $6 million cap hit as a part of the deal.
In return, the Sharks acquired a 2023 first-round decide, conditional 2024 first-round decide, forwards Andreas Johnsson and Fabian Zetterlund, and defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotyuk.
Meier was the largest identify on the commerce market this season, and the Devils gained the sweepstakes to land him. Meier, 26, is a bona fide star and has recorded 31 targets and 21 assists in 57 video games performed this season. With Meier on the ice in five-on-five conditions, the Sharks have managed a staggering 57.84% of the anticipated targets, in line with Natural Stat Trick.
Now in his seventh NHL season, Meier has scored 154 targets whereas including 162 assists in 451 profession video games. Meier has eclipsed the 30-goal mark in three of these seasons, and he has scored a minimum of 20 targets on 5 totally different events.
Meier ought to be a pure match with New Jersey’s core of proficient younger forwards, and it would not be shocking to see him slot in on the wing alongside his fellow Swiss countryman Nico Hischier.
Meier is within the last yr of his present contract, and he shall be due for a giant increase as a restricted free agent this offseason. The Devils will seemingly push to re-sign Meier, however no contract extension has been introduced at the moment.
Zetterlund, 23, is within the midst of a good rookie season with six targets and 14 assists in 45 video games. The former third-round draft decide may present the Sharks with high quality ahead depth for years to come back.
Mukhamadullin was the No. 20 general decide within the 2020 NHL Draft, and he has six targets and 19 assists for the KHL’s Ufa Salavat Yulayev within the 2022-23 season. Okhotyuk, 22, was the No. 61 general decide within the 2019 NHL Draft and has two targets and 4 assists in 20 video games with the AHL’s Utica Comets.
After this commerce, the Sharks now have 4 first-round picks mixed within the subsequent two drafts as they attempt to restock their prospect cabinet and construct towards the longer term.
