Grier Shouldn’t Rush Decision to Trade or Keep Meier

Check out my “Sharks Pregame Live” hit today!

Sheng Peng: Cancel the APB, Timo Meier is still in the building.

Timo Meier has not been traded…yet.

But he’s not in the San Jose Sharks line-up this afternoon either, he’s out with a day-to-day upper-body injury.

I just saw him in the hallway though, so he’s not packing his bags right now.

However, there appear to be fewer and fewer teams in the running for Meier.

The New York Rangers traded for Vladimir Tarasenko and the Toronto Maple Leafs traded for Ryan O’Reilly. Reports are, both teams wanted Meier but he was too expensive.

Regardless, San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier should hold to his price for Timo Meier.

Meier is young and better than Tarasenko and O’Reilly. He’s also a pending RFA, meaning the team getting him is going to have team control over him for another year past this season.

A couple sources told me that it’s around three pieces, a 1st is a must, and a mix of Grade-A or Grade-B prospects, or young up-and-coming NHL’ers.

Carolina and New Jersey still seem in the thick of the Meier sweepstakes.

Obviously, holding onto to your price has its risks. Meier could get hurt or his play could suffer because of the uncertainty of his situation.

On the other hand, if you get your price, a great example is Colorado trading Matt Duchene in Nov. 2017.

Almost a year before that, Christmas 2016, Duchene asked Colorado GM Joe Sakic for a trade.

Sakic held until he got the offer he wanted, a year later. There was plenty of fan and media pressure, bashing Sakic for his indecision.

But in the end, Sakic got a boatload of assets, including directly or indirectly defensemen Samuel Girard and Bowen Byram, who were both vital to the Avs’ championship last year.

It’s a gamble but Grier shouldn’t blink first.

Timo is too good, and Grier’s got time, this Draft, next Trade Deadline, to figure things out before Meier can become a UFA.

Heck, the San Jose Sharks may even work out an extension with Meier themselves by then.