Assessing 5 New Jersey Devils Trades On Capfriendly’s Armchair GM
By Nick Villano
This is another deal that calls for the Devils 1st-round pick, but it has a lot of reasons to pause. Timo Meier has three more years on his deal, and then the Devils would once again retain his rights. The winger is making $6 million every season. It’s a really good deal for what the Devils are getting. The 24 year old is one season removed from a 30-goal season. He still scored 22 goals on the tire fire that was the San Jose Sharks last season.
The Sharks would want a 1st rounder in any deal for Meier. They’d demand even more, but the Kyle Palmieri side of this is strange. Maybe it’s the Sharks’ way of keeping hope alive for next season, but it could also lead to an even bigger return at the trade deadline. Then add in Nick Merkley, who has been playing well overseas and could make the roster next season, it’s basically like giving up three different iterations of a 1st-round pick for Meier.
It’s a steep price for the Devils to pay, but players who are cost controlled with proven statistics on the NHL level cost this much. It’s a clear win for the Sharks, even if they might not think so. Palmieri can get the Sharks another 1st-round pick in 2021, which would give them three. That kind of value is nearly impossible to find. They can pick two defensemen who could be stars on top of getting another forward who can help them now. The Devils just can’t make this deal at this time, although pairing Meier with Nico Hischier is hard to say no to.
Who wins this trade: San Jose Sharks