Sheng Peng
The Carolina Hurricanes have emerged as serious contenders in the Timo Meier sweepstakes.
While the New Jersey Devils remain the consensus favorites to land the San Jose Sharks star winger, the Canes might have the leg up on them for one good reason.
“My sense is if the Devils end up with Meier, it’s got to be with the player signed to an extension,” insider Pierre LeBrun wrote today. “But on the flip side, the Hurricanes are open-minded about that. They’re OK acquiring Meier and not worrying about the contract in the here and now.”
So what could the Canes offer the Sharks for Meier?
I spoke with a couple NHL sources about the Carolina system.
First things first, winger Seth Jarvis, goalie Pyotr Kotchkov, and defenseman Alexander Nikishin are probably off the table.
You have to give to get, but Jarvis and Kotchkov are vital to the Hurricanes’ Stanley Cup push this season, so it doesn’t make sense for them, if they can avoid it, to weaken their current roster for Meier. And yes, I understand that acquiring Meier would still be a net positive over say a Jarvis, but if you’re a contender, the goal of the Trade Deadline is usually to add playoff-caliber depth, not shed it.
Meanwhile, Nikishin is Carolina’s top prospect and seen as a future star, even if nobody is sure when the KHL blueliner will come to North America.
“Can’t see them parting with the Russians [Kotchkov and Nikishin],” one NHL source noted.
Good thing for the San Jose Sharks, the Canes do have plenty of intriguing youngsters after Jarvis, Kotchkov, and Nikishin.
So which of their other prospects could move the needle for the Sharks?
Again, we’re going to use the same framework for a deal that we reported last month, that the Sharks are looking for around three significant pieces for Meier. That could be:
2020 third-rounder Nikishin, for example, is probably a Grade-A prospect right now. Do the Hurricanes have other prospects who are considered Grade-A leaguewide?
The answer appears to be no.
2021 second-round pick Scott Morrow is likely Carolina’s second-best prospect. The UMass defenseman seems to be a firm Grade-B right now.
That might be it for the clear-cut A-B layer, which doesn’t sound promising for the San Jose Sharks.
But according to one source, the Canes have a lot of interesting B-C tweener prospects, talented forwards who could just be a good year or two away from taking things to another level.
Keep in mind, once again, that these grades aren’t static, Nikishin being a perfect example of a prospect who was drafted as perhaps a C and played his way to the top. So a tweener today could be a keeper tomorrow.
Let’s assume a Carolina offer for Meier starts with Morrow and a 1st. Who else could the Canes dangle?
The big name is probably Jack Drury, part of the Drury hockey family, dad Ted and uncle Chris. The 23-year-old center also has NHL experience and could step into the San Jose Sharks’ line-up tomorrow.
“Drury probably trends more toward a bottom-six NHL role,” the source indicated.
Another NHL source concurred, saying of the 6-foot-0 pivot: “I wish he was bigger and stronger, but I like the player. He’s a smart 200-foot center. Skating is adequate. Decent puck skills. Plays the game the right way. Details and work habits are good.
“But he’s likely a bottom-six center, third-line upside.”
So would the San Jose Sharks want more NHL certainty in Drury or more upside?
“Jackson Blake is real good. Would trend more to a B,” a source said of the 2021 fourth-round winger. “He drives North Dakota’s offense. Pure skill. Not soft despite being small.
“Blake could develop into a middle-six NHL forward, a power play option.”
“Ville Koivunen is real similar to Blake, except skates worse,” he added of the 2021 second-round winger.
On the high-risk, high-reward side?
“Noel Gunler is streaky but uber-talented. Huge shot and offensive capabilities,” the source shared about the 2020 second-round winger.
“Ryan Suzuki is also really, really talented but has struggled at the AHL level,” he said of the 2019 first-round center.
Another source isn’t very high on the productive but injury-plagued Suzuki.
On the peskier side of things?
“Jamieson Rees is a really good one too,” the source pointed out of the 2019 second-round forward. “Got offense but also a rat, agitator.”
So while the Canes may not have an obvious Grade-B prospect after Morrow, they could offer an enticing quantity-over-quality trade to the Sharks for Meier.
Keep in mind, Meier is a pending RFA, so Carolina could get two playoff runs with the power winger, then decide if they want to build around him long-term. So that should boost Meier’s trade value a little, even with his $10 million qualifying offer this summer.
“I would ask for Blake and Morrow first. Then Suzuki, Gunler, Rees, or Koivunen, [not in that order], next,” the source intimated. “I would take any of those guys over Drury.”
So would a likely-late 2023 1st, Morrow, Blake, and Rees be a fair package for Meier?