Written by Pierre Lebrun, Chyna Goldman, and Corey MacIsac

The New Jersey Devils have acquired San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier in a multi-player and derivatives deal, the teams announced. Here’s what you need to know:

• The Sharks will keep 50 percent of Mayer’s $6 million salary/salary, and a contract extension is not part of the deal. The Devils became comfortable playing the trade without him signing an extension as part of it.
• Meyer, 26, has 52 points (31 goals, 21 assists) in 57 games this season. He has played his entire professional career with the Sharks after they drafted him 9th overall in the 2015 NHL Draft.
• Along with Meyer, forward Timur Ibragimov, defenseman Scott Harrington, Santeri Hatake, goaltender Zachary Emond, and a fifth-round pick (originally a Colorado pick) will be headed in the 2024 NHL draft to the Devils. In contrast, San Jose added New Jersey’s first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft (conditional), defensemen Shakir Mukhamadulin and Nikita Okhotyuk, forwards Andreas Johnson and Fabian Zetterlund, a conditional second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft and a seventh-round pick in 2024.
• San Jose is 18-30-12 on the season, and is seventh in the Pacific Division.

Scout report

Meyer is a fine offensive innovator. The winger excels at commanding play on the ice and in the attacking zone with control. And every so often, he turns entering that area into a scoring opportunity for his team. His offensive creativity tends toward rushing opportunities, but Meyer can still create the course – and on a team with more two-way support, he’ll likely expand on that.

This year, he’s one of the most repeat shooters in the league and what’s impressive is that he isn’t set up with high-risk passes at a very high rate, either. Shows the individual effort put into his scoring chances.

And while Meyer has been on the upswing for a year, his style of play has been consistent. His impact on the Sharks’ projected goal generation has been well above average for nearly every season. The only down year, 2020-21, has clearly been an odd season.

What makes Meyer even more valuable is that he is not a suspended, unrestricted free agent. – Goldman

What does this mean for sharks?

This is the clearest indication yet that first-year general manager Mike Grier will steer the franchise in a new direction away from the one led by the core players who nearly reached the Stanley Cup Final twice in four years from 2016-19. Trading Brent Burns last summer was a small step, but this is a leap into a new era. Meyer has been the team’s MVP for the past two years and could, in theory, remain part of a heavy veteran core alongside Thomas Hertel and Logan Couture for the next several seasons. – Macaisak

What could be next for the sharks?

The main focus between now and the March 3 deadline will be on Erik Carlson, who has four years left on his contract at $11.5 million per season but is also enjoying the best offensive season by a defenseman in three decades. Carlson has a complete no-movement clause, but has spoken publicly about his desire to win several times this season. If the Sharks are able to trade Karlsson, either next week or during the offseason, that could open up the possibility of Couture or Hertl considering wanting to chase a championship elsewhere as well. – Macaisak

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(Photo: Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)