Timo Meier Trade Grades
Timo Meier has finally been shipped. The New Jersey Devils are the winners of the months-long sweepstakes. And unsurprisingly, they paid a huge price for the pending free agent. San Jose also picked up half his expiring salary. James Nichols of The Fourth Period was one of the first to find out the complete trade package:
It’s also worth noting that the Devils, at the time of writing, do not have an extension in place. This could obviously change, but the lack of long-term deal does affect my judgement of the trade. Remember, this is a 26-year-old All Star who has hit 30 goals on a team competing for draft lottery status. One of the big talking points is also the $10 million qualifying offer. We obviously need to see how he meshes in Jersey with all of the other talent. But let’s see if it’s a gamble worth taking for Tom Fitzgerald.
Sharks Grade: B
This isn’t the greatest return I’ve ever seen, but it is a lot of assets. I think this is a good job by Mike Grier. Up to two first round picks, and a package of players that could play now or set up for the future. The main name here is Fabian Zetterlund. The Swede is a 2017 third-round pick and has done pretty well in his first full season. The 23-year-old has put 20 points in 45 games for a surging Devils team. While his production may dip in San Jose, he could end up being one of the faces for this Sharks rebuild in the long term.
Andreas Johnsson is pretty much a salary filler. He’s got an expiring $3.4 million cap hit and has been spending most of his time in the AHL this season. He used to be an interesting piece back in Toronto, but age and injuries has slowed him down a pretty good bit. It also would have been nice to pick up Holtz or Mercer. Those guys are more likely than any of these to have a Meier-like impact down the road.
Nikita Okhotiuk (Ohotyuk) is a 2019 second-round pick of the Devils. The lefty defenseman even made a couple of appearances in the majors this season but mostly plays in the AHL. He’s worn the C and the A on his jersey for the Russian U-18’s. At 22, he could pan out and feature on San Jose’s blue line for the long term.
Shakir Mukhamadullin is similar to Okhotiuk. He is a former first round pick in 2020. The six-foot-four defenseman is a smooth skater for his size along with having a rocket of a slapshot. With the right amount of time and development, the Russian should be a sure thing in the NHL. Maybe not a star but at least a consistent guy who makes the top four every night. They also threw around picks in later rounds. Some head scratching assets while other
Devils Grade: A-
Look, getting the best player in a deal usually means you win the deal, and that remains the case here. You can call out my Islanders bias here. Bo Horvat signed an eight-year deal after getting traded to the Islanders. Only a fool would say the Devils didn’t get better after making this deal. But they just gave up a lot of draft capital and assets they spent years collecting. If they can’t make at least the Eastern Conference Finals, which is the condition put on one of the picks, then it may not be a complete home run. To their credit, however, they were able to keep ahold of top youngsters Alexander Holtz and Dawson Mercer.
If they’re able to get Meier signed up to a long-term deal, this trade is absolutely an A for me. He gives Jersey some real punch in the top six and help for Jack Hughes or Swiss compatriot Nico Hischier. When fully healthy this team is scary. Full stop. Let’s say the playoffs started today. The No. 2 Devils would host the No. 3 Rangers. If Shesterkin doesn’t get out of this cold slump, then that series could end quickly. Those guys with Dougie Hamilton feeding them on the powerplay will fill up the net.
Scott Harrington is a depth defenseman who won’t hurt having in the No. 7 or No. 8 spot. The Devils also picked up a pair of former sixth-round picks in Santeri Hatakka and Zach Edmond.
The Devils are the latest team to make a big splash before the trade deadline. I personally don’t see the biggest issue in giving up a farm for him. He’s going to do great things on the top line and powerplay here. Jersey didn’t have to give up their A+ assets, but it was still a very respectable package. As long as they’re able to work out a new contract, I think both sides definitely win here.
