New Jersey Devils: 3 Scenarios For Timo Meier Negotiations

Scenario 2: Meier and Devils sign long-term deal

This is the scenario the Devils want. It is probably what Meier wants, but he isn’t nearly as desperate for it. Remember, the Devils are the ones who sent a large package to get Meier’s services. They took on all of the risk. Meier is just playing until he hits free agency.

So, Meier is just going to let the cards play out. His agent Claude Lemieux will definitely listen to long-term offers, but he has no motivation to even acknowledge any offer that comes under $8 million per season. If he doesn’t want to sign for the full seven years, he doesn’t have to. He can wait until free agency, and teams will line up to give him what he wants. The Devils included.

Obviously, the Devils at least asked what it would take to get this done quickly. Our guess is taking that $10 million qualifying number and multiplying it by seven. That probably won’t fly based on what Fitzgerald has said. He’s trying to keep everyone’s cap hits under Jack Hughes’s $8 million per season. That’s a nice thought, but it’s not happening. Meier will command way closer to $9 million, and the Devils should probably just give it to him if he signs for more than five seasons.

A six-year, $52.5 million deal ($8.75 million AAV) seems logical for all sides. This doesn’t completely ruin the Devils cap, and Meier gets a deal that makes him a free agent right before his prime ends, so he can cash in at least one more time.