NHL trade deadline: Devils acquire Timo Meier from Sharks in blockbuster

The New Jersey Devils landed their big fish ahead of the 2023 NHL trade deadline by getting Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks in a trade packed with picks and prospects. It took several hours for the smoke to clear, but the deal is now done.

Specifics of Meier trade from Sharks to Devils

Meier is the headliner but this deal has plenty of other parts to it. Time will tell if the trade package actually helps the Sharks, or instead translates to quantity over quality.

Devils receive: Timo Meier (with 50 percent of his salary retained by the Sharks), prospect Timur Ibragimov, defensemen Scott Harrington and Santeri Hatakka, goaltender Zachary Emond and a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

Sharks receive: 2023 first-round pick, conditional 2024 first-rounder, 2024 seventh-rounder, Nikita Okhotiuk, Fabian Zetterlund, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Andreas Johnsson.

This image might help if you’re more of a visual learner.

Meier isn’t cheap, but he’ll likely be worth it for the Devils

According to TSN and The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun, one crucial aspect of the Meier trade is that it’s not expected to come with a contract extension. Meier, 26, is set to be a restricted free agent this offseason. Importantly, Meier has arbitration rights, and a qualifying offer would push him to $10 million for next season (2023-24). Various reports indicate that Meier would seek about $9M per year in an extension, so either way, he’d be an expensive player for the Devils to keep. (One measure placed his market value this season around $10.4M.)

On the bright side, Meier seems very much worth it. He’s long been a versatile player with strong underlying numbers. During this contract year, he’s put all of that promise together for the production you expect from a star. He’s already scored 31 goals in 57 games this season, four goals short of his career-high of 35 from 2021-22.

Meier could slide into a spot alongside fellow Swiss scorer Nico Hischier, but he also makes plenty of sense on Jack Hughes’ wing. Either way, he’s the sort of star you’d like to add when you already have outstanding players like Hughes and Hischier on cost-controlled contracts.