Timo Meier Trade Should Only Interest Devils with Contract Extension amid NHL Rumors
The New Jersey Devils have emerged as one of the NHL's surprise teams this season. After four straight years of missing the playoffs, New Jersey has already acquired 58 wins and is in a great position for the playoff push.
There's a chance that the Devils add even more talent to the roster before the March 3 trade deadline—and general manager Tom Fitzgerald may be going big-name hunting. New Jersey has been among the teams linked to San Jose Sharks standout winger Timo Meier.
The problem is that New Jersey is far from the only interested team. The Carolina Hurricanes and Vegas Golden Knights are also reportedly interested in the 26-year-old. The St. Louis Blues and Winnipeg Jets could be as well, according to TSN's Pierre LeBrun:
"We're told the Blues have inquired with San Jose on Meier. Remember, the Blues now have three first-round picks, and my understanding is the Blues would be ready to part with two first-round picks in a package for Meier. ...The Winnipeg Jets are also among the teams that have inquired. The Vegas Golden Knights too, and of course, the two teams that we've pointed out for a while now – New Jersey and Carolina. I still think they're the frontrunners."
It's not hard to see why so many teams are interested in Meier, who has logged 31 goals and 21 assists in 57 games this season. It's also not difficult to see why New Jersey would be willing to make a strong push to come away with his services.
Meier has the scoring prowess needed to help the Devils make a deep playoff push—he has more goals than anyone currently on the team aside from center Jack Hughes. Landing Meier would also keep him away from the rival Hurricanes, who are three points ahead in the Metro standings.
However, Meier is not going to come at a bargain-basement price. If the Blues are willing to part with two first-round picks, that should be San Jose's reasonable expectation. Any deal with New Jersey would likely include at least one first-round pick and a comparable prospect or two.
According to Robert Aitken Jr. of Record Sports and NorthJersey.com, San Jose is eying 21-year-old center Dawson Mercer.
Given the heavy interest from multiple teams, Meier may ultimately command more than a couple of picks or a pick and a prospect or two.
Because of this, Fitzgerald and the Devils must approach negotiations with a defined goal—if they acquire Meier, they must immediately sign him to a long-term extension.
The Devils are a relatively young team, and players like Mercer, the 18th overall pick in the 2020 draft, figure to be a piece of the long-term puzzle. Meier could be too, if he's more than just a one-year-plus rental.
Meier is set to become an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent this summer and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2024. New Jersey has the foundation upon which to build something special long-term, and it cannot afford to give away multiple young pieces and/or picks for a player who isn't committed to the big picture.
Getting Meier to agree to an extension was reportedly part of the conversation between New Jersey and the Sharks earlier this month, according to LeBrun. For the Hurricanes, though, it was less of a sticking point:
"There have been more talks in the last 48 hours between the Devils and the Sharks - they would want an extension to be part of this trade, they want to sign Meier as part of this. The Carolina Hurricanes, another team that has had talks with the Sharks in the last couple of days, they're a bit more open-minded I'm told, and they could make this trade without even talking to [agent Claude Lemieux] or without even worrying about an extension at this point."
With the deadline inching closer and even more teams reportedly interested in Meier, Fitzgerald could be tempted to make a deal without an extension agreement in order to put pen to paper.
This would be a mistake. It might be a good deal for Meier, who would get to chase a Stanley Cup for this year and next and then test the open market. It wouldn't be good for the Devils, who could lose Meier or overpay to keep him at the end of next season.
Fitzgerald should focus on selling Meier on the idea that if he comes to New Jersey and commits long-term, he can be part of a perennial contender while being fairly compensated.
If Meier won't buy in, then the Devils should shift their focus to other deadline trade targets. Meier is a fantastic player and in his playing prime. However, New Jersey is just getting started and shouldn't trade-in a chance at a dynasty for what might only amount to a year-and-a-quarter with a new star player.
