Timo Meier And New Jersey Devils 5 Greatest In-Season Trades Of All Time

The New Jersey Devils just finished one of the biggest trades in franchise history. Timo Meier goes on a long list of great moves by the franchise.

It was a long and stressful process, but in the end it was worth it. The New Jersey Devils got Timo Meier, by far the best player on the NHL Trade Market, thanks to his impact on the team and contract status. They traded a haul in terms of quantity. They traded two picks, one a first-rounder in this year’s NHL Draft and one that could turn into a first-rounder in 2024 if the Devils make the Eastern Conference Finals.

It’s already one of the best trades the Devils ever made in the middle of the season. If Meier signs an extension, it will be even better. Right now, we have it ranked fifth in all-time midseason NHL trades, but it very well could become the top.

5. Timo Meier Time

The New Jersey Devils got the guy. It’s an amazing feeling for fans. The Devils are now one of the favorites to win the Stanley Cup after getting the prize of the NHL Trade Deadline. Meier makes them as good as anyone.

Ironically, this trade puts more pressure on Vitek Vanecek to perform in the playoffs. With this stacked of a roster, and a Hudson River Rivalry facing us in the postseason, it might come down to which goalie can steal games. When we’re looking at Vanecek versus Igor Shesterkin, it all depends on who is the hot goalie.

That’s beyond the point. Right now, Meier is a fantastic addition. He hasn’t even played a game, and the fanbase is through the roof excited. As time goes on, this trade will only get better. If the Devils are able to re-sign Meier, which seems likely, this trade could immediately jump to the top of the list. For now, let’s take a look at the rest of the top five.

4. Claude Is Back In Town

Back in the year 2000, the Devils were set to compete with some of the best players in the league already on the roster. The 1999-00 Devils were one of the best teams of the decade, and this was a great decade for hockey. However, something just seemed to be a little off. So, on November 3, 1999, Lou Lamoriello brought back a playoff hero.

Claude Lemieux won the Conn Smythe for the Devils in 1995. He scored 13 goals that postseason, and he was a main cog in the Devils first championship. However, he was unhappy with his contract situation, saying he didn’t believe his three-year deal was valid. He fought it all the way to an arbitrator and lost. Unfortunately, the pain was already there, and Lamoriello had to trade him.

Just a few short years later, time had healed all wounds. Lemieux was traded back to the Devils very early in the 99-00 season. The Devils were 6-3-1-1 at the time of the trade. They went on a run, and the Devils would finish second in the Atlantic Division.

Lemieux didn’t have the same impact he had in 1995, but his 10 points in the playoffs along with his physicality brought the Devils over the top. He also led all forwards in ice time in the playoffs, coming just under 19 minutes per game. Head coach Larry Robinson trusted Lemieux to make the right play, as he played even more than the A Line.

3. A Haul for Hall

Sometimes, a sale is better than a buy in terms of trade. The New Jersey Devils really set the mark with this deal, impacting the Devils in a huge way today. The Devils were hoping to end the rebuild in 2019. Taylor Hall was returning from injury and hoping to return to MVP form. The team added P.K. Subban, Jack Hughes, and Nikita Gusev in the offseason. Then, it all fell apart. Immediately, might we add. The Devils started that season with seven-straight losses.

It became clear pretty quickly that the Devils had to sell. Ray Shero was desperately trying to hold onto his job. So, he had to trade Hall quickly. If he made him available in December, there would be more suitors. And that worked out.

The Devils eventually sent Hall to the Arizona Coyotes. Most fans were devastated by the trade at the time (similar to how Sharks fans are feeling right now). Now? Fans understand this trade has the Devils on the superstar trajectory.

The first-round pick turned into Dawson Mercer. Tom Fitzgerald traded the third-round pick for Jonas Siegenthaler, the Devils first-line defenseman. Kevin Bahl has been playing better as of late, and he could be really good with a little more seasoning. This deal has the Devils in a great place. Thanks, Taylor.

2. Kovalchuk Was The Right Move

Listen, looking back at this now, and this might now look as good. The Devils were looking to find a different way to compete. The defense was not filled with Scott Stevens, Scott Niedermayer, Brian Rafalski, and Ken Daneyko. So, Lou Lamoriello went for the biggest possible fish he’s ever targeted. Say what you want about Jason Arnott and Alexander Mogilny (two trades who were devastating to keep off this list), but Ilya Kovalchuk was by far the most talented player Lamoriello ever targeted in trade.

At the time of the trade, Kovalchuk was a two-time 50-goal scorer and a five-time 40-goal scorer. He was coming to a team that was looking to stay in the Eastern Conference race. It didn’t work out immediately, as the Devils lost in the first round in 2010. They didn’t make the playoffs in 2011. Then, 2012 came.

Ilya Kovalchuk went off in 2012. He had eight goals in the postseason, more than any other player in the postseason. He added 11 assists for a total of 19 points. He was actually dealing with a back injury at the time of the playoffs, but he gutted it out and dominated.

Obviously, the ending was terrible. He left for Russia during the 2012 lockout, returned for the lockout-shortened 2013 season, then left for good. Now, it leaves a bad taste in our mouths, but we have to give the devil his due. Kovalchuk was a great trade at the time, and the second-round pick they got in return turned into Jon Merrill, who was a decent defenseman in his own right.