Meier Knew Trade Was Coming, Thanks Sharks Fans

Timo Meier knew a trade was coming.

It took the San Jose Sharks until five days to the Mar. 3 Trade Deadline, but GM Mike Grier finally pulled the trigger, sending Meier to the New Jersey Devils for a massive package of futures.

3 Takeaways from Meier Trade, Grier Presser

The Swiss star, selected by the Sharks ninth-overall in the 2015 Draft, entered 2022-23 on the last year of his four-year, $24-million bridge deal. Meier was coming off a career-high 35-goal and 76-point campaign in 77 games, an impressive season that saw him selected to his first NHL All-Star Game and establish himself as a top power forward.

As Meier himself put it on the trade call with Devils reporters: “Coming into the season, my focus was to play so well that I put myself in a good situation…[regardless] of what decision the Sharks are going to make.”

“And play hard for your teammates,” he added. “You owe it to them to give it your best effort every night and come in with the right attitude.”

Meier certainly put himself in a great position. To this point, the 26-year-old has 31 goals and 52 points in 57 games.

But the San Jose Sharks had to make a decision on the pending RFA, due to become a UFA after next season: Qualify him at $10 million? Extend him with say an eight-year, $72 million pact? Or trade him at a high point in his value?

But the writing was on the wall, from the beginning of the season.

“There was never further talks about extensions. At a certain point, you think there’s gonna be a trade happening,” he shared.

Grier says he did discuss the parameters of an extension with Meier’s agent Claude Lemieux, and it just wasn’t something, in his opinion, that fit in with where the Sharks were in their competitive cycle. San Jose is about to be four years and running out of the playoffs.

“He was having an excellent season…and we are where we are results-wise in the standings,” Grier said of his 18-30-12 San Jose Sharks. “The other part about it is the salary cap, and the ask of what he was looking for on an eight-year deal.”

Grier wasn’t interested in another long-term contract, considering how much the Sharks have already spent on players that have, frankly, led them nowhere: “We already have some financial commitments on the books. The salary cap, who knows what it’s going to be. So, it’s also the business side and trying to be smart about it, not adding another huge, huge contract on the books when we’re probably not ready to win at the moment.”

Now, Meier has gone from the team with the NHL’s third-worst Points % to the third-best.

“I’m a very competitive guy and I want to win,” Meier said. “I wanted to win when I’m in San Jose. Obviously, we haven’t been doing great. I hate losing.”

But Meier was still grateful for his seven seasons as part of the San Jose Sharks.

“That’s the tough part, when you have to leave people that you’ve made some really good friendships [with],” he said. “It’s gonna be tough leaving. But, knowing you have a great opportunity in Jersey, they’re all super happy for me to get that opportunity.”

He also took to Instagram later to thank the fans, writing, “Forever grateful for the 7 years where I made so many memories here in san jose that will last forever! met so many incredible people and got to play in front of such amazing fans… THANK YOU SAN JOSE!”

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