2023 NHL Trade Deadline: Timo Meier traded to a contender
The biggest name on the trade-bait board has fallen, with Timo Meier headed from San Jose to New Jersey in a nine-player deal.
Leading up to the March 3 trade deadline, Sports Interaction is covering all the major moves, rumours and odds. Don’t forget to check out our complete list of NHL game odds, NHL futures and NHL props.
Deal with the Devils
The hotly contested Eastern Conference just got a little stronger after New Jersey bolstered their offence with another Swiss superstar to join captain Nico Hischier. Timo Meier was the consensus top trade piece as the 26-year-old restricted free agent is on pace to set career-bests in goals, assists and points and is under team control for one more year. Here’s how to mammoth full trade breaks down:
To New Jersey Devils: Wingers Timo Meier (Sharks retain 50 per cent salary) and Timur Ibragimov, defencemen Scott Harrington and Santeri Hatakka, goalie Zachary Emond and a 2024 fifth-round pick.
To San Jose Sharks: Wingers Andreas Johnsson and Fabian Zetterlund, defencemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotiuk, 2023 conditional first-round pick, 2024 conditional second-round pick, 2024 seventh-round pick.
*2023 first-round pick is top-two protected, would slide to 2024.
*2024 second-round pick becomes a first-round pick (top-10 protected) if New Jersey reaches the 2023 Eastern Conference Final with Meier playing at least 50 per cent of the Devils’ playoff games OR New Jersey reaches 2024 Eastern Conference Final.
The East is a Beast
Oddsmakers are not being subtle when you look at the numbers and see that six of the top seven Stanley Cup favourites are Eastern Conference teams. Translation: the East is a beast this season. Boston is the Cup favourite, followed by reigning champs Colorado, then Carolina and Toronto. New Jersey sits with the fifth-shortest odds to win the Stanley Cup.
The East has only grown stronger as the trade deadline approaches. The Islanders added former Vancouver captain Bo Horvat, who has already kickstarted their offence into a higher gear. Toronto is hoping St. Louis’ former captain, Ryan O’Reilly, is the solution their first-round playoff demons. Vladimir Tarasenko has been a great fit for the Rangers and there’s a lot of smoke surrounding the Big Apple as a destination for Patrick Kane. And don’t forget the NHL-leading Bruins have made some smart minor transactions to get bigger and tougher before the postseason. The East is setting up to be a dogfight as playoff hockey inches closer.