After weeks of increasing speculation, it has finally happened: Timo Time in San Jose is officially over.
The New Jersey Devils have acquired forward Timo Meier and defenseman Scott Harrington from the Sharks. The package in return heading back to San Jose consists of defenseman Shakir Mukhamadullin, forward Fabian Zetterlund, forward Andreas Johnsson, defenseman Nikita Okhotiuk, a 2023 first-round pick, a conditional 2024 first-round pick, and a 2024 seventh-round pick. In addition, defenseman Santeri Hatakka, goalie Zach Emond, forward Timur Ibragimov, and the Avalanche’s 2024 fifth-round pick will be headed to New Jersey, and the Sharks will retain 50 percent of Meier's salary in the deal.
I plan to go into further details about the biggest fishes in this deal and who the Sharks receive in return. Timo Meier has been one of the Sharks’ best forwards this season, the past few seasons, and in recent memory. He was the ninth-overall selection by the Sharks in the 2015 draft and has amassed 316 points (154 goals, 162 assists) in 451 NHL games since his debut during the 2016-17 season. As for this season, Meier has 52 points (31 goals, 21 assists) in 57 games for the Sharks so far, which currently leads the team in goals, is second in points, and fifth in assists. Timo Meier is also the only Swiss-born player in the NHL with multiple seasons of scoring at least 30 goals. One of his best moments in teal was his five-goal performance against the LA Kings on January 17, 2022.
Scott Harrington appeared in 28 games with the Sharks this season, recording seven points (one goal, seven assists). He initially signed with the Sharks prior to the start of this season on a professional tryout before signing a one-year deal and also has one assist in five AHL games with the Barracuda.
Onto the return package to the Sharks, which is a total of seven combined players, prospects, and picks. Shakir Mukhamadullin was a first-round selection by the Devils at 20th overall in the 2020 draft and is slated to be a top-4 defenseman on the Sharks in the near future with some potential upside. He has spent this season with Salavat Yulaev Ufa in the KHL in Russia, recording 25 points (six goals, 19 assists) in 66 games. In total, Mukhamadullin has 43 points (12 goals, 31 assists) in 166 KHL games.
Andreas Johnsson has played in two games with the Devils this season and has a total of 113 points (48 goals, 65 assists) in 248 NHL games with the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils. In addition, Johnsson has 130 points (55 goals, 75 assists) in 165 AHL games with the Toronto Marlies and Utica Comets.
Fabian Zetterlund has 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) in 45 games for the Devils this season and a total of 28 points (nine goals, 19 assists). He also has a total of 90 points in 138 AHL games with the Utica Comets and Binghamton Devils. Both Zetterlund and Johnsson will be joining the Sharks before their next game on Tuesday against the Montreal Canadiens, while Mukhamadullin will be in San Jose once his KHL season is over.
Nikita Okhotiuk has one goal in ten games with the Devils along with two goals and four assists in 20 AHL games with the Comets this season.
There are conditions attached to the draft picks that the Sharks received in this trade, and they're complicated. the 2023 first-rounder will be the Devils' own 2024 first-rounder if the pick is a top-two selection. As for the conditional 2024 first-rounder, it will stay a first-rounder in 2024 if the Devils reach the Eastern Conference Finals this year or next year and Timo Meier plays in at least half of the Devils' playoff games this year. If none of these conditions are met, then the Sharks will receive the Devils' 2024 second-round pick.
The Sharks and Devils agreed to this trade because GM Mike Grier didn't see Timo Meier in the Sharks' long-term plans in which they can fit him under the salary cap, and the Devils saw a perfect opportunity to fit Meier into their top forward lines ahead of Friday's trade deadline. It didn't help that this deal took longer than it should've to to fully sort out and determine the Sharks' return package after the trade was first reported. Overall, this is a great trade for the Devils and a terrible one for the Sharks. I saw Timo Meier as a centerpiece for the Sharks to build around for the future, and now that he is no longer with the Sharks, this sets their rebuild back at least a few more years with the way things stand now with the Sharks franchise. On top of that, the return for one of the Sharks' best forwards was certainly underwhelming and emphasized quantity over quality. Team Teal didn't receive any top prospects from the Devils organization in exchange for Timo Meier and should've received at least one player like Alexander Holtz, Dawson Mercer, Luke Hughes, or Simon Nemec. Every player and prospect in this deal heading to the Sharks is expected to be bottom-six or bottom-pairing at best, and it's not a guarantee that the draft picks will turn into anything special or significant. On a more positive note, the Sharks have another first- round selection in their arsenal in a deep and loaded draft class, and the newest players and prospects in the Sharks organization could become amazing with more ice time and a change of scenery.
Still, I'm upset that the Sharks had to part ways with one of my favorite players in recent years like this and didn't receive an equal or greater value for Timo Meier in return. It will take some time for me to recover from this. With the way that this season has gone for the Sharks, if it doesn't result in a top-three pick, Connor Bedard, or Adam Fantilli, the latter two being the consensus top-two prospects in this year's draft, this season will be a failure for this team. There's no other way to put it. It's tough being a Sharks fan right now, so disappointing, but at the same time, I believe brighter days are ahead for this franchise regardless of how long it may take to get there.
Sources: Sharks + SAP Center App, NHL Discussion via Instagram
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