REPORT: Devils Want ‘Final Shot’ at Meier Trade

How badly do the New Jersey Devils want Timo Meier?

According to Elliotte Friedman, a lot.

“I do think the Devils have kind of said to the Sharks, before you do anything on Meier, make sure we get a final shot,” the insider said on his 32 Thoughts podcast today.

So does New Jersey see the 26-year-old pending RFA as a franchise cornerstone, someone to sign long-term?

Pierre LeBrun seems to think so, and that will dictate the kind of offers that the San Jose Sharks receive for Meier, which I noted yesterday on “Sharks Pregame Live”:

Is Tarasenko Trade a Model for Potential Meier Deal?

My educated guess, it will take two to tango: Meaning, if it’s only the Devils that are ready to commit long-term to Meier right now, then New Jersey just has to trump the best offer of a team that sees the San Jose Sharks star as a one or two-year “rental”.

Of course, GM Mike Grier isn’t obligated to accept the Devils’ “best” offer. Once again, Meier is an RFA, so he is under team control for another year before he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

But if, let’s say the prospects-rich Buffalo Sabres also see Meier as a franchise cornerstone, then you might be able to extract a Grade-A prospect in a bidding war between New Jersey and Buffalo.

What might help the San Jose Sharks’ hope for a better return for Meier?

“There seems to be a feeling out there, that if what he considers to be a legit contender wants to sign him long-term, then he is prepared to be reasonable,” Friedman said of Meier today.

What’s “reasonable” to Meier, a power winger coming off a 35-goal season and who has already scored 30 this year?

LeBrun has suggested $9 million AAV as a starting point.

If you're #SJSharks, would you sign 26-year-old Timo Meier to an eight-year, $72 million dollar extension ($9 million AAV).

Story here –> https://t.co/hzI5KC6I7W

— Sheng Peng (@Sheng_Peng) January 28, 2023

On this morning’s podcast, Friedman and co-host Jeff Marek speculated that could mean an eight-year, $64 million extension.

Whatever that figure is, Meier extended is worth more in a trade than Meier as a short-term “rental”.

Friedman also touched on some Devils prospects who could be available to the Sharks, which I dive deeper into here:

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