BREAKING: Meier Traded to Devils

Timo Timo is no more for the San Jose Sharks.

According to Pierre LeBrun, the San Jose Sharks have sent their 26-year-old star winger to the New Jersey Devils.

The trade return has yet to be disclosed.

Here were three speculative packages that San Jose Hockey Now discussed with multiple NHL sources recently. The story is now unlocked:

What Are Reasonable Sharks-Devils Meier Trades? (+)

This ends months of speculation about the pending RFA’s future in San Jose. The Devils, Carolina Hurricanes, St. Louis Blues, and Vegas Golden Knights were among the many teams reportedly in the derby for the power forward, on pace for 40-plus goals this season.

The San Jose Sharks selected Meier with the ninth-overall pick of the 2015 Draft and watched him blossom into one of the elite wingers in the game. But the Sharks, three years and running out of the playoffs, also need to commence a rebuild, and this might be the surest sign that they’re on the way to doing that.

Meier, by far, was the organization’s most valuable asset.

The last time that local media spoke with Meier yesterday morning, there was a sense that his days with the San Jose Sharks were indeed numbered. The Sharks had never, to my knowledge, expressed any strong interest in keeping the star winger, and that hadn’t changed until the end.

I asked Meier, if something changed, would he be open to re-signing with #SJSharks? "Yeah…that hasn't made any progress."

To be honest, it seems like he's resigned to leaving San Jose

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 25, 2023

In fairness to GM Mike Grier and the San Jose Sharks though, that doesn’t appear to be a statement about Meier, but more about where the franchise was in their competitive cycle.

Last time we see Timo Meier in a #SJSharks jersey? pic.twitter.com/TpeoWtAMDW

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) February 25, 2023