SOURCE: ‘Vegas in hard on Meier’

I didn’t believe it when I first heard it.

“Vegas in hard on Meier,” I heard an NHL source say two days ago.

But yesterday, Pierre LeBrun and Chris Johnston essentially said the same thing, identifying the Vegas Golden Knights, New Jersey Devils, and Carolina Hurricanes as the three favorites to land Meier. While New Jersey and Carolina are widely considered the leaders in the Meier sweepstakes, with the St. Louis Blues as an honorable mention, Johnston called the Golden Knights a “dark horse”.

I didn’t believe it because I have no idea what futures Vegas could offer that would entice the San Jose Sharks.

“Their system is awful,” an NHL scout told San Jose Hockey Now.

According to SJHN’s sources, the Golden Knights have no Grade-A prospects and probably only one clear-cut Grade-B prospect in the entire system, defenseman Lukas Cormier.

Other than that? Well, it’s a desert out there.

“I would think it has to be centered around one of Chayka, Korczak, Dorofeyev and Brisson. Plus Cormier,” another NHL source offered.

Defensemen Daniil Chayka and Kaeden Korczak, and forwards Pavel Dorofeyev and Brendan Brisson, are probably Grade-C prospects these days.

“Dorofeyev is not a sure thing. Chayka and Korczak look like okay stay-at-home guys. Brisson and Cormier are the two with upside, and even then,” the source acknowledged, “I wouldn’t be running to the table [for that].”

Another source stressed that there was “no way” a direct trade between bitter playoff rivals San Jose Sharks and Vegas could happen. But could Meier be sent to a middle-man team who re-routes him to the Golden Knights? That was possible.

But that doesn’t change the fact that San Jose appears to be looking for three high-end futures for Meier – and Vegas doesn’t have that.

That is, unless?

“Not sure anyone else [in Vegas] gets you there for Meier other than lots of picks,” the source intimated.

The Golden Knights have their 2023 first-round pick, but they’re likely going to the playoffs, so that selection wouldn’t be the most enticing. But take that pick, and add another unprotected future Vegas first-rounder?

The Golden Knights are an older team, and despite their best efforts, their Cup-contending window may be closed sooner than they expect. They did miss the playoffs last year, after all.

So if you’re San Jose Sharks GM Mike Grier, maybe you ask for an unprotected 2024 or 2025 first-rounder, on top of say Cormier and the 2023 first, and roll the dice that the 2024 or 2025 lands in the lottery?

For San Jose Sharks fans, besides beating Vegas in the playoffs, what could be sweeter than profiting from their misery?