San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier is one of the biggest names featuring heavily in trade rumors as of late, and it was only yesterday that news came in that Meier’s camp was being “very realistic” about the possibility of their client being traded. Today, it seems Meier the trade market for Meier could be starting to take shape.
According to The Fourth Period, the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils are two clubs “interested in acquiring” the talented Swiss forward. Given the pending restricted free agencies of Filip Chytil, Alexis Lafreniere, and K’Andre Miller, it’s possible that the Rangers may only be interested in Meier as a rental acquisition since the qualifying offer to retain his rights in the summer is set at $10MM. For the Devils, they could have the room to make Meier a more long-term part of their core, but one wonders if they have the type of young center to offer San Jose that could raise their bid above the trade offers of other teams.
For some other notes from across the NHL:
- Devils breakout defenseman John Marino could be nearing a return to the ice, as head coach Lindy Ruff told the media (including team reporter Amanda Stein) that Marino’s status is now considered day-to-day. The 25-year-old blueliner has been out since the middle of December, but when he was playing he was one of the Devils’ best two-way defensemen. He’s scored nine points in 32 games this season and is averaging over 21 minutes per night.
- Yesterday, we learned that New York Islanders forward Cal Clutterbuck suffered an upper-body injury that will keep him out indefinitely. Today, Stefan Rosner of New York Islanders Hockey Now reports that Clutterbuck has been placed on injured reserve. According to Rosner, defenseman Samuel Bolduc will take the vacant spot on the Islanders’ roster.
I’m not sure Grier will be ONLY interested in a centre. The Sharks have (probably in descending order of quality) Eklund, Bordeleau, Bystedt, Robins, Gushchin… there is something missing here that the Sharks sorely need that isn’t a center. Of the above list, NONE are D-men which happens to be something the Devils have in bulk.
Seamus Casey, Reilly Walsh, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Topias Vilen, Kevin Bahl and Nikita Okhotyuk could and should be available for trade chips sending back to SJS and Grier would be silly not to bank a few of these credible assets.