One of the top NHL players on the rumor mill, Timo Meier, is drawing big interest from multiple teams including the Toronto Maple Leafs and Vegas Golden Knights.
Other clubs with “significant interest” in the San Jose Sharks forward include the New Jersey Devils and Carolina Hurricanes, reports NHL Network studio analyst Kevin Weeks.
Meier when compared to other trade targets this season is one of the more interesting players available.
This is because he isn’t just a rental.
The 26-year-old, who carries a $6 million cap hit will be a restricted free agent (RFA) after the season ends.
That means should another organization try to sign him in July, the team that owns his rights would receive draft pick compensation in return if signed to an offer sheet.
Also, the acquiring team could try to agree on a long-term contract extension.
But a contender in salary cap hell might have trouble squeezing him in because his qualifying offer is $10 million.
The Sharks, which are in rebuild mode, sit 7th in the Pacific Division and could decide to trade him if they don’t see him as a fit into the long-term plan.
Since there is no real rush for the Sharks to trade the top six winger, expect the acquisition cost to be high.
Likewise, it will cost a team at least a first-round pick, a top prospect and likely more since he isn’t a rental.
Many interested clubs including the Leafs and the Hurricanes do not have enough deadline cap space to fit Meier in at the moment.
They will need to send a player back the other way and/or have salary retained on Meier’s contract.
Meier this season with the Sharks has recorded 51 points in 54 games.
