Sharks’ Market for Meier Heating Up with 7 Teams Interested

Now that the Vancouver Canucks have traded Bo Horvat to the New York Islanders, the new biggest trade target available is San Jose Sharks star winger Timo Meier. The Sharks have made it known that they are open to trading the 26-year-old as they gear up for a full-on rebuild, and trade rumors surrounding him are starting to increase significantly as we get closer to the deadline. It is quite easy to understand why, too, as he has an impressive 28 goals and 48 points in 51 games this campaign. That is excellent when noting that he does not have the best offensive weapons to work with while playing for the Sharks.

The Fourth Period has reported that there are currently seven teams in the Meier sweepstakes at the time of this writing. With the 2015 first-round pick being a pending restricted free agent (RFA), there is a solid mixture of contenders and non-playoff teams making a push for him. Let’s take a look at them now.

Playoff Teams Linked to Meier

At the time of this writing, there are currently four teams in the playoff hunt looking to acquire Meier. The New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, Winnipeg Jets, and Buffalo Sabres are all aiming to bring in the star.

For much of this season, there has been a ton of buzz over the possibility of Chicago Blackhawks star Patrick Kane joining the Rangers. Yet, NHL insider Frank Seravalli recently reported that Meier is actually at the top of their trade targets list. Ultimately, it makes sense, as he is having a better season and has a cheaper cap hit than Kane. Furthermore, he would be an instant fit on their first line with Artemi Panarin and Mika Zibanejad.

For several years, the New Jersey Devils were in the bottom portion of the NHL standings. However, they have cemented themselves as legitimate contenders this season, as they have a 32-13-4 record and are not slowing down. With the Devils looking to build off of this momentum in the postseason, they are in a position where they should go all-in for Meier. They have the assets to get a deal done, and Meier could be the perfect winger to play with star center Jack Hughes.

After a disappointing 2022-23 season, the Winnipeg Jets have turned things around beautifully this year and are one of the top teams in the Western Conference because of it. Yet, when looking at their fairly weak depth at right wing, it would be wise for them to make a big splash…