New Jersey Devils: 3 Timo Meier Trades To Force Sharks Hand

This one is a draft pick-heavy deal where Tom Fitzgerald gives up multiple unknown assets for a superstar. Meier is only 26 years old. He has years left in his prime. The Devils should be willing to give up a ton for him. However, with his $10 million qualifying offer coming up, would they be willing to give up four picks, especially if one is a first-round pick? On top of that, they are giving up Kevin Bahl, who has a lot of talent in a massive frame.

This really comes down to what the picks are. If it’s, say, a first-rounder, two seconds, and a third, that seems like a fair price. However, it’s incredibly steep. That might be what the Sharks expect to get any needle moving in January. The Devils have to blow the Sharks away for them to avoid March’s trade deadline.

The Devils also lose the contract to Andreas Johnsson in the deal. It seems like a move like this will need a high-priced player the Devils don’t need to make it work.

We were slightly tempted to work out a trade where the Devils send Jesper Bratt to the Sharks, but it just isn’t worth it. The Devils have enough money to sign Bratt and Meier next season. Sure, it will be stressful for Tom Fitzgerald to go through two massive negotiations at once, but he is very well compensated to make a deal work.