Agent: Meier Doesn’t Expect Offer from Sharks Until After Season

Timo Meier’s camp isn’t expecting a contract offer from the San Jose Sharks during the season.

“We have not received any offers yet, and don’t expect anything until the end of the season,” Claude Lemieux, Meier’s agent, told San Jose Hockey Now.

“We didn’t put any parameters on [negotiating in-season]. It’s for me to get to know Timo personally, as a person, and to see how he fits in, and for Quinny to get to know him as a player,” Sharks GM Mike Grier shared on Sept. 14 about nascent contract negotiations with Lemieux about pending RFA Meier. “We’ll see how it goes and we’ll kind of go from there and we’ll see how it plays out.”

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It looks like the San Jose Sharks and Meier are both playing it out. That’s not a bad thing: The Sharks can see if Meier can replicate his breakout 2021-22 All-Star campaign, and the 25-year-old winger can see how the Sharks, three years and running out of the playoffs, are progressing as a franchise.

Meier echoed Grier recently, telling The Athletic: “I’ve played here my whole NHL career and I always say this is a great place to play. There are a lot of changes here. So for me, I want to get to know the coaches and the new GM and obviously hear about their plans.”

Putting off contract negotiations until the off-season is one distraction less for Meier. Not that anybody is worried about him getting distracted.

“He doesn’t let it show that it’ll affect him at all,” San Jose Sharks captain Logan Couture offered. “He looks extremely good. He came in, in good shape.”

“Timo is focused on having a great year, nothing else,” Lemieux said. “All is good with Timo and the Sharks. When they are ready to start negotiating a contract extension, they will reach out.”