What Makes Meier ‘Unique’…And Why Would Sharks Trade Such a Special Player?

Timo Meier is not going to the All-Star Game, but he certainly deserves to be there.

As of Jan. 24, Meier is second in the NHL with 223 shots, and tied for fourth with 12 power play goals and eighth with 28 goals.

Looking under the hood, per Natural Stat Trick, Meier is tops in the league at 5-on-5, 300-plus minutes played, with 15.11 Scoring Chances and third with 6.64 High-Danger Shot Attempts Per 60. So his shots are dangerous and he’s not just living off the man advantage.

Checking under the car, per SPORTLOGiQ, there aren’t many offensive categories where Meier doesn’t lead the San Jose Sharks. At mid-season, the Swiss winger led the team in these micro-stat categories Per 20 at 5-on-5, NHL rank in parentheses: Offensive Zone Possession, OZ Dekes (9), Zone Exits, Zone Entries (11), Dump-In Rate, and Offense-Generating Plays.

So Meier dominates the puck for the San Jose Sharks in all three zones: He carries it from blueline to blueline (Zone Exits and Entries). He carries it in with possession (Dump-In Rate). And in zone, he rules the puck too (OZ Possession and Dekes).

Check out this full San Jose Sharks article on NBC Sports Bay Area