Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Timo Meier

Latest On Timo Meier, Mackenzie Blackwood

at CDT | by 9 Comments

The New Jersey Devils got their first key piece of offseason business done yesterday, signing Jesper Bratt to an eight-year, $63MM extension. It’s a team-friendly $7.875MM cap hit (in the short-term, at least), which leaves the team still with upwards of $25MM of space this offseason, per CapFriendly. A good chunk of that will end up going to the team’s other star RFA, Timo Meier, who general manager Tom Fitzgerald said today wants to stay with the Devils long-term. While the Devils did file for team-elected salary arbitration yesterday, it’s a safety net more than anything else – Fitzgerald has requested Meier’s agent to hammer out the framework of a max-term, eight-year extension.

Now with seven NHL seasons and nearly 500 games under his belt, the 26-year-old Swiss winger is coming off a four-year, $6MM average annual value deal signed with the San Jose Sharks in 2019. He’s scored 35 and 40 goals in the last two seasons, and he’ll look to get paid like one of the premier goal-scorers in the league on a long-term deal.

While the Devils would prefer to keep a salary hierarchy among forwards under Jack Hughes’ $8MM cap hit, that’s not likely on a long-term deal with Meier. While he won’t earn the eight figures due to him on a one-year qualifying offer, his cap hit across eight years could creep into the high $8MM range.

Another player the Devils have on their offseason list is netminder Mackenzie Blackwood, on whom Fitzgerald says the team will explore all options. Another restricted free agent, Fitzgerald wasn’t sure the team will opt to qualify him, negotiate a contract lower than his $3.36MM qualifying offer, or cut ties with the 26-year-old altogether and trade him.

After another injury-plagued season which saw him post a .893 save percentage in 22 games, he’s decidedly slipped to third on the team’s goalie depth chart behind Vitek Vanecek and Akira Schmid. A trade seems like the most pragmatic scenario here, likely for a draft pick. The team has a well-stocked prospect pool in the crease with names like Nico Daws and others.

It’s been an unfortunate turn of the tide for Blackwood, who a few seasons ago seemed the organization’s goalie of the future – especially in 2019-20 when he posted a .915 mark in 47 games behind a rather weak squad.

Devils Expected To File For Arbitration With Timo Meier

at CDT | by 9 Comments

The New Jersey Devils have been busy today, fresh off signing Jesper Bratt to an eight-year extension Sportnet’s Elliotte Friedman is reporting that the club will likely take forward Timo Meier to team elected arbitration. This doesn’t prevent either side from continuing to negotiate a long-term deal, but it does give the Devils some leverage as they head into conversations with the 26-year-old. The team elected arbitration could result in a salary that is 85% of Meier’s 2022-23 salary which came in at $10MM.

Meier came over to the Devils in late February after a blockbuster trade with the San Jose Sharks. He took some time to settle in with New Jersey and put up nine goals and five assists in 21 games with the Devils to finish out the regular season. He would ultimately finish his season with 40 goals and 26 assists in 78 games split between the two teams. In the playoffs Meier struggled mightily posting just two goals and two assists in 11 games and was largely a non-factor in the team’s series win over the New York Rangers going pointless in seven games and suffering a huge hit from Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba. Meier was much stronger in the team’s second round series against Carolina putting up four points in four games.

The Devils decision to file for arbitration isn’t all that surprising given that they are largely negotiating from a position of weakness as Meier holds the hammer in their contract discussion sitting just a year away from unrestricted free agency. He could simply just go to arbitration and walk away next summer.

As mentioned earlier, with the team elected arbitration Meier could see his salary reduced by as much as 15% depending on how the arbitration process plays out. While that won’t do much on a long-term contract, it could lead to an acceleration in the contract discussions with Meier’s camp which would allow New Jersey some clarity as they head into the draft and free agency in the upcoming weeks. The Devils have a busy summer ahead as they try to build on their first series win in over a decade.

Devils Notes: Severson, Graves, Haula

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The New Jersey Devils won their first playoff series in over a decade this past spring and now face the prospect of losing several key free agents in just under a month’s time. James Nichols of The Fourth Period reported today that Damon Severson’s camp isn’t sure whether the Devils want him to return or not. While it certainly doesn’t sound like the two sides are close to an agreement or even talking now, these types of agreements can be reached in a matter of days. Devils’ general manager Tom Fitzgerald has a lot of work to be done this summer and appears to have prioritized the Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier contract negotiations at this time.

Nichols reported yesterday that the Columbus Blue Jackets were interested in Severson’s services as well, and it isn’t a surprise given the players track record. Severson is sure to be in demand as he is a right defenseman coming off a season in which he put up 7 goals and 26 assists in 81 games. The veteran has spent his entire nine-year career with the Devils and could very well find himself in a different uniform come the fall.

In other Devils news:

  • Nichols also reported that defenseman Ryan Graves sounds like a player that is on his way out of New Jersey. Nichols spoke with Graves agent Allain Roy who said that New Jersey needs to figure out if they have room for his client and that a lot will have to happen before they do. Graves is another defenseman that is sure to be in demand, the 28-year-old posted eight goals and 18 assists in 78 games this past season and was a big part of a Devils penalty kill that finished fifth in the league with a success rate of 82.5%.
  • In positive news for New Jersey, Nichols reports that the Devils have engage in extension talks with Erik Haula. The left winger has stated his interest in returning to the Devils and Fitzgerald has said the Devils would like him back. While they are early in their discussions, Nichols says it would be hard to imagine them not working out a deal to bring the 32-year-old back into the fray. Haula came over from the Boston Bruins in a trade last summer and put up 14 goals and 27 assists in 80 games in his first year with the Devils.

Snapshots: Matthews, Bratt, DeAngelo

at CDT | by

David Pagnotta of the NHL Network is reporting that the Toronto Maple Leafs are focused right now on evaluating their coaching staff and don’t have urgency at this time to speak with star forward Auston Matthews. He adds that they do intend to meet with the 25-year-old and his agent later this month, at which time they will presumably begin to talk about a contract extension for the upcoming unrestricted free agent. Matthews is just a year away from being able to walk out the door for nothing and the direction of the franchise will likely be dictated by what happens in the Matthews talks.

It’s an interesting approach from newly anointed general manager Brad Treliving given that he cited talking to Matthews as his number one priority at his introductory press conference. It’s also curious because he just came from a franchise in which he lost two 100-point scorers in a matter of months just one year ago. One would have to assume he will be prudent in making sure that doesn’t happen again with Matthews who has a no-trade clause that kicks in on July 1st.

In other news from around the league:

  • Pagnotta also writes that talks between the New Jersey Devils and pending RFA Timo Meier have picked up this week, but he describes the situation with Jesper Bratt as status quo. Bratt and the Devils have a bit of a contentious relationship when it comes to negotiations as they have come up against each other in the past when it comes to money. This happened most notably last summer when they nearly went to arbitration but settled on a one-year deal just hours before they were set to square off.  Bratt posted a career high 32 goals last season while posting his second consecutive 73-point season. He has bet on himself in the past and with just a year left until he is an unrestricted free agent, this could be the Devils toughest negotiation yet.
  • Elliotte Friedman mentioned on The Jeff Marek Show today that he believes the Philadelphia Flyers are looking to move defenseman Tony DeAngelo. The 27-year-old continued to produce on the powerplay in his first season in Philadelphia but struggled at even strength and in his own defensive zone. The New Jersey native became a lightning rod for criticism, particularly from head coach John Tortorella who scratched DeAngelo multiple times last season. Philadelphia acquired DeAngelo last summer from Carolina for multiple draft picks and signed him to a two year $10MM contract. Many people questioned the move at the time and that continued into the season despite the defenseman’s offensive production. It’ll be curious to see if any teams bite on the gifted but limited rearguard.

Devils To Begin Contract Talks With Timo Meier This Week

at CDT | by 1 Comment

When the Devils picked up winger Timo Meier from San Jose prior to the trade deadline, GM Tom Fitzgerald noted that they didn’t want to get into extension talks right away, instead preferring him to get fully integrated with the team.  However, Fitzgerald told NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger that those discussions will now begin this week.

Back in 2019, the 26-year-old signed a four-year, $24MM deal that was heavily backloaded.  Doing so gave the Sharks some cap flexibility while on the back end, it set up a $10MM qualifying offer.  That sparked some similar contracts being signed around the league and eventually, a change to the rules when the CBA was extended back in 2020 was made to eliminate the ballooning qualifying offer.  Now, instead of the qualifier being set at what the salary in the preceding season was, it’s the lower of that number or 120% of the AAV of the previous contract.

However, that rule change only applied to contracts signed after that stretch.  As a result, Meier is still subject to the old rule, meaning that New Jersey will have to tender him a $10MM qualifying offer later this month if they can’t agree on a new contract by then.

Meier notched a career-high 40 goals this season between the Sharks and Devils although he was a bit quieter than expected in the playoffs, scoring just twice in 11 contests.  He has yet to reach the point-per-game mark in his career but he came close to doing so back in 2021-22.  Accordingly, while Meier is an accomplished scorer, it’s fair to question if he’s worth a $10MM contract for next season.

The Devils do have one way to bring that amount down, although it comes with some risk.  If they opt for club-elected arbitration, they can come in with an offer that’s 85% of the required tender, or $8.5MM.  However, in return, Meier could simply go through the hearing, play for whatever is awarded, and then head straight to unrestricted free agency in 2024.  That’s certainly not the outcome Fitzgerald would want after moving a first-round pick and another recent first-rounder (Shakir Mukhamadullin) plus a conditional pick that could become a first as part of the return to get Meier.

With that in mind, it’s not surprising to see Fitzgerald planning to engage Meier’s agent Claude Lemieux in discussions now with the hopes of getting something done before the calendar flips to July and the qualifying offer comes into play.  That contract, if finalized, is likely to come in lower than the $10MM qualifier but not necessarily by much, especially with the expectation that the salary cap will start to go up quicker starting in 2024.

Fitzgerald made it clear to Zeisberger that his goal is getting the winger locked up on a long-term agreement; we’ll find out over the next few weeks if he’s able to succeed on that front.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Latest On Jesper Bratt, Timo Meier

at CDT | by 2 Comments

New Jersey Devils general manager Tom Fitzgerald has achieved a crucial step in a long rebuilding process: a return to relevancy and a promising postseason showing. Now, he has to keep them there.

Considering the Devils have 13 expiring contracts on their NHL roster (not including injured goalie Jonathan Bernier), this offseason isn’t just about staying the course for Fitzgerald and the Devils. The signings he makes this summer will largely dictate what the team’s future holds as their spending, and eventually, the salary cap, increases.

There are no priority items this offseason larger for Fitzgerald than the team’s most coveted restricted free agents: Jesper Bratt and Timo Meier. Speaking to reporters, including The Fourth Period’s James Nichols, at the Devils’ locker clean-out day yesterday, Fitzgerald offered updates on the status of Bratt’s and Meier’s pending extensions.

In regards to Bratt, Fitzgerald gave an expansive answer:

We paused the (extension) talks prior to the playoffs, which I think was the right thing to do. There was there’s definitely progression. For sure. There’s definitely a framework of a deal to be done long term if Jesper wants that. Jesper knows exactly what that framework looks like. I know Jesper wants to be a Devil long-term and so do we. He had a tremendous year. Nobody doubted he wouldn’t. He’s part of the fabric here, part of the core. We want to get this done. I don’t anticipate contentious negotiation. I think his agent knows where we’re at. So we’ll probably put the ball back in his court and we’ll touch base here soon. I haven’t yet. Like I said earlier, this Game 5 loss is still fresh.”

Coming off back-to-back 70-point seasons, contract talks surrounding the 24-year-old Bratt are much more positive than this time last season. He’s a restricted free agent with arbitration rights for the second straight summer, eventually signing a one-year, $5.45MM deal in August 2022 after an arbitration filing.

His next cap hit is likely to come in well north of that and could easily hover near the $8MM mark on a long-term deal, which both Fitzgerald and Bratt allude to as a possibility. Regardless of the final cap hit, it doesn’t appear the Devils and Bratt are likely to hit many snags in the road on their way toward an extension.

The vibes are different around a potential commitment for Meier, who wasn’t as effective as the team hoped after acquiring him late in the season from the San Jose Sharks. The intrigue is still there – it’s not often you have a free agent with three 30-goal seasons under his belt still under team control. But the 26-year-old will undoubtedly be looking for a hefty commitment, especially after posting near point-per-game numbers over the past two seasons on a struggling Sharks squad.

Fitzgerald said contract talks with Meier haven’t begun in earnest yet but plans to touch base with Meier’s agent, Claude Lemieux, about an extension after the team wraps up its pre-draft scouting meetings this week.

New Jersey will likely prioritize getting the framework for an extension finalized with Meier as soon as possible. If it comes to a worst-case scenario, Meier is due a qualifying offer of $10MM on a one-year contract, which would both dig into New Jersey’s cap space next season and walk him right to unrestricted free agency in 2024.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Gronborg, Oligny, Meier

at CDT | by 2 Comments

It’s not often you see a team that has won back-to-back league titles change their coach, but this decision was made long ago for Tappara Tampere of the Finnish Liiga. Back in October it was reported that Rikard Gronborg would not be returning to the ZSC Lions after this season, already agreeing to a multi-year contract with Tampere.

Gronborg was introduced today, taking over just a week after the club took home the 2023 title. Interestingly enough, when the commitment was initially reported, it included the note that Gronborg’s contract contains an out clause should the NHL come calling. For years, the decorated international coach has been linked to vacant NHL positions without anything ever materializing.

  • Jimmy Oligny is your Yanick Dupré Memorial Award winner for 2022-23, named AHL Man of the Year. The award is given to a minor league player for outstanding contributions to his local community and charitable organizations. Among his many involvements, the Manitoba Moose captain worked with the Kinship and Foster Family Network to host a foster family at every Moose home game.
  • Timo Meier was “okay” today, according to New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff, as the forward continues to recover from a massive hit suffered last round. Mike Morreale of NHL.com relays that Meier is still day-to-day and that the team will know more tomorrow. Without Meier in game one of their second-round series, the Devils were dismantled by the Carolina Hurricanes and will have to try to even things up tomorrow night.

Timo Meier Will Not Play In Game One

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier will not play in game one against the Carolina Hurricanes. The news was tweeted out by NHL.com writer Tom Gulitti just moments ago. Meier did not dress for the warm-up and will be replaced in the lineup by one of Jesper Boqvist or Curtis Lazar.

Meier famously took a high hit from New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba in game seven of their first round series. He stayed down after the hit and needed medical attention from the Devils staff before he was able to skate off the ice under his own power. Meier later returned for the end of the game and had a cordial exchange with Trouba in the handshake line.

Meier was acquired by the Devils at the NHL trade deadline from the San Jose Sharks and took some time to adjust to the new team and system. He produced a respectable 14 points in 21 games with New Jersey to finish out the regular season but failed to produce a single point in the seven-game series with the Rangers.

The Devils haven’t made much information available on Meier’s condition and had original deemed him to be a game time decision earlier today. With Meier now scratched for game one it will be interesting to see what more is revealed prior to game two on Friday.

East Injury Notes: Meier, Kane, Drury

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The New Jersey Devils are entering Game 1 on the road tonight against the Carolina Hurricanes with the status of their main trade deadline acquisition uncertain. Winger Timo Meier is a game-time decision after taking a hard hit from New York Rangers captain Jacob Trouba in the team’s Game 7 win on Monday, per head coach Lindy Ruff.

Meier hasn’t exactly lived up to expectations yet, especially with no points in the team’s series victory over New York. He did have nine goals in 21 games for New Jersey down the stretch, however, and has shown to be a valuable offensive weapon in playoffs past with San Jose. If he’s unable to play, one of Curtis Lazar or Jesper Boqvist will draw into the New Jersey lineup.

Elsewhere in the Eastern Conference:

  • Now-pending UFA winger Patrick Kane told reporters at the Rangers’ end-of-season availability today that he was never 100 percent healthy after the trade to New York, but praised the team’s training staff for trying to get him there. Kane did not rule out off-season surgery for the lower-body injury that plagued him the entire 2022-23 season. Kane recorded one goal in seven playoff games for the Rangers and posted a career-low 57 points in the regular season (in a full season).
  • Carolina Hurricanes winger Jack Drury is expected to return from an upper-body injury tonight when they host New Jersey to start their second-round series. Drury, 23, has slotted into Carolina’s top six with injuries to multiple key wingers. He’ll look to register his first point of the playoffs tonight, expected to flank Jordan Staal and Martin Necas on the team’s second line.

Snapshots: Trade Condition Updates, Andersson, Tkachev

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The regular season is nearing its end and the Stanley Cup Playoffs are just around the corner. It is the most exciting time of year to be a hockey fan. While it is a quiet period in the hockey calendar for trades, there have been a handful of updates on trade conditions from previous deals that have been made. First of all, capfriendly.com confirmed the Chicago Blackhawks will be receiving the Tampa Bay Lightning’s first-round pick in the upcoming NHL Draft. This was part of the Brandon Hagel trade from a year ago. The condition on the deal was that it was a top-ten protected pick, but with the Lightning qualifying for the playoffs, the pick will be outside the top 16 and therefore transferred to the Blackhawks.

The San Jose Sharks will also officially receive the New Jersey Devils first-round pick in 2023 according to capfriendly.com. This was a part of the Timo Meier deal that saw a total of 13 pieces involved. One component was a conditional first-round pick that would top-two protected. Essentially, the Devils would have needed to completely fall apart in the second half, win the draft lottery and end up with a top-two pick in order to keep it. They of course did not, and will host a first round series next week, so their first-round pick will go to the Sharks.

The Arizona Coyotes will receive yet another second-round pick as well. Again, capfriendly.com points out that conditions in the Jakob Chychrun trade dictated the 2024 second-round pick that was included as part of the deal would move up to a first-round pick if the Ottawa Senators made it to the Eastern Conference final this season. The Senators did not make the playoffs, so their second-round pick goes to the Coyotes who now have ten second round picks in the next three drafts.

  • Donna Spencer of The Canadian Press reports Calgary Flames defenseman Rasmus Andersson does not require surgery in the offseason, but has been dealing with pain since a scooter accident in Detroit on February 8. The 26-year-old was riding a scooter to dinner that night when he was struck by a vehicle in a crosswalk. He went to hospital for observation but was released and he missed three games before returning to the lineup on February 16. He quickly returned to his role as a top-pairing defenseman, but did struggle down the stretch, scoring just one point in his final ten games.
  • Agent Shumi Babaev tweeted that his client, Vladimir Tkachev is not happy with Avangard Omsk’s latest offer to return to the KHL, so he will look to return to the NHL next season instead. Tkachev played his Junior hockey in the QMHL with the Moncton Wildcats and Quebec Remparts and played the 2021-22 season with the Los Angeles Kings and Ontario Reign of the AHL. He played four NHL games, scoring two points and had 29 points in 41 AHL games that season. He returned to the KHL for the 2022-23 season and scored 23 goals and 59 points in 64 games, leading Omsk and finishing second overall in the KHL. The 27-year-old is a skilled winger and will now look to sign with an NHL team this summer.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top