Timo Meier

The Eastern Conference is a warzone in the NHL this season. Not that it hasn't been in recent years, but the New York Rangers certainly have their work cut.

In trying to fit under cap and roster constraints, New York has had to play the minimum amount of players possible so they can fit Patrick Kane on the roster. Jersey is only three points back of Carolina for the top spot in the Metro division. The Rangers have plenty of stars across their roster, but they need the balance that would come with a Patrick Kane deal. New Jersey has made tremendous strides this season and is on the cusp of a playoff berth. The addition of Vladimir Tarasenko was seen as a move that bolstered the offense for the Rangers while allowing their matchup advantages to play out. Not that it hasn’t been in recent years, but the New York Rangers certainly have their work cut out for them as the calendar turns to March.

Sean Allen provides the latest updates in who's rising, who's falling, and other player trends from around the league.

[Jack Campbell](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/5473/jack-campbell), G, [Edmonton Oilers](/nhl/team/_/name/edm/edmonton-oilers) (down 47 spots to No. Oshie](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/5034/tj-oshie), W, Washington Capitals [Marcus Pettersson](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3114995/marcus-pettersson), D, [Pittsburgh Penguins](/nhl/team/_/name/pit/pittsburgh-penguins) [Esa Lindell](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3069352/esa-lindell), D, Dallas Stars [Jonas Siegenthaler](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3904190/jonas-siegenthaler), D, [New Jersey Devils](/nhl/team/_/name/nj/new-jersey-devils) [Joonas Korpisalo](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3069266/joonas-korpisalo), G, [Columbus Blue Jackets](/nhl/team/_/name/cbj/columbus-blue-jackets) (up 56 spots to No. [Cale Makar](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/4233563/cale-makar), D, [Colorado Avalanche](/nhl/team/_/name/col/colorado-avalanche) (down 10 spots to No. [Ryan Hartman](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3042063/ryan-hartman), C/W, [Minnesota Wild](/nhl/team/_/name/min/minnesota-wild) (up 39 spots to No. [Tom Wilson](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/2970615/tom-wilson), W, [Washington Capitals](/nhl/team/_/name/wsh/washington-capitals) (up 23 spots to No. [Shea Theodore](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3042055/shea-theodore), D, Vegas Golden Knights (up 29 spots to No. [Ryan O'Reilly](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/5208/ryan-o'reilly), C, [Toronto Maple Leafs](/nhl/team/_/name/tor/toronto-maple-leafs) (up 10 spots to No. [Jack Eichel](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3648002/jack-eichel), C, [Vegas Golden Knights](/nhl/team/_/name/vgk/vegas-golden-knights) (up 15 spots to No. Watch for [Tomas Tatar](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/5227/tomas-tatar), [Dawson Mercer](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/4697401/dawson-mercer) or [Ondrej Palat](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/2590389/ondrej-palat) getting time with a Hischier-Meier or Hughes-Meier pairing. [Kasperi Kapanen](https://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/3114775/kasperi-kapanen) also waltzes into a [St. [Elias Pettersson](http://www.espn.com/nhl/player/_/id/4233566/elias-pettersson), C/W, Vancouver Canucks (up six spots to No.

There is a war brewing in the Metropolitan Division amongst the New York metropolitan area's three hockey teams: The Rangers, Devils, and Islanders.

Devils fans were hungry for a deal to get done and had been chanting Meier’s name at Prudential Center in hopes it would reach the executive box to convince GM Tom Fitzgerald to trade for the talented winger. “Not reacting because of what the Rangers did or what they may do again, what the Islanders did. ET on Friday as they each make a push for the postseason.

San Jose Hockey Now's Sheng Peng takes a deep dive into Timo Meier's trade to the Devils and what GM Mike Grier had to say about the move.

Then I think the last couple weeks, I think it was starting to weigh on his mind of 'What's going to happen, where am I going to play' type thing. The 2024 first-rounder is a bit complicated, it relies on the 2022-23 Devils making the Conference Finals (and Meier playing 50 percent of the playoff games) or the 2023-24 Devils making the Conference Finals (doesn’t matter how many playoff games that Meier plays in that run). It was on his mind to start the season, then I think he just played hockey and did what he always did. The only thing that I can think, there just wasn’t the interest in Meier, not enough to shake a Grade-A asset like the Devils’ Dawson Mercer or Simon Nemec, the St. I think for him, sometimes it takes a while to figure out how you need to play and what you need to do to stay in the NHL. Look at the gymnastics it took to fit Meier’s relatively-paltry $6 million this season into New Jersey’s cap – the Sharks had to take on Johnsson and his $3.4 million salary. That’s a good player, I was given a C-plus grade for him, in terms of his value, by the same scout. That was a bit of a harsh assessment by the NHL scout above. I think you guys can kind of see how great a year [Timo] was having, how great a year Erik [Karlsson's] having, and where we still are results-wise in the standings. I think he's willing to do the little things now, and he plays on the inside, which was really important to us. As for what the Sharks gave up, defenseman Santeri Hatakka is a sleeper prospect who’s been hurt all year, with a chance to return this season. I think he's done that…I think what Fabian's learned is that you've got to play in the hard areas.

Timo Meier is headed to New Jersey after the Devils acquired the Swiss forward in a trade with the Sharks on Sunday, a source confirmed to ESPN.

In seven seasons with the Sharks, he topped 20 goals five times and 30 goals three times. "Everyone is talking to San Jose about Timo Meier," one rival Eastern Conference front office executive said during the All-Star break. The Devils, who have made the playoffs just once since 2012 and underwent a rebuild in recent years, are a year ahead of schedule, general manager Tom Fitzgerald told ESPN last month.

Meier, 26, has 52 points (31 goals, 21 assists) in 57 games this season.

Meier has been the team’s best offensive player over the past two years and could, in theory, still be part of a veteran-heavy core along with [Tomas Hertl](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/tomas-hertl-ujb69oMzy32EnMpV/) and [Logan Couture](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/logan-couture-yl9o1AFYyJRjG3Zm/) for the next several seasons. [Erik Karlsson](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/erik-karlsson-wfs21WC1MyiivfTP/), who has four years left on his contract at $11.5 million per season but is also having the best offensive season by a defenseman in three decades. Karlsson has a full no-movement clause, but has publicly spoken about the desire to win many times this season. [Brent Burns](https://theathletic.com/nhl/player/brent-burns-AfvXrrumMaC5g1Tg/) this past summer was a minor step, but this is a leap toward a new era. - His contract extension is not part of the deal. The move is pending the official trade call.

The New Jersey Devils finally won the Timo Meier sweepstakes. After months of negotiations, multiple reports say that the former Shark is heading east.

The Devils got their man, and it was the perfect fit for a team on the rise. Honestly, they’ve been at least [loosely tied to the Swiss superstar for years](https://pucksandpitchforks.com/2021/05/24/new-jersey-devils-timo-meier-legitimate-trade-option/). [New Jersey Devils](https://pucksandpitchforks.com/new-jersey-devils-editorials/) have been tied to Timo Meier for months.

After weeks of trade rumors, Sharks forward Timo Meier appears to be on his way to the East Coast.

However, LeBrun reported the Devils still view Meier as a long-term piece. LeBrun also reported Sunday that [five teams were involved](https://www.tsn.ca/video/~2636023) in trade discussions for Meier at one point, including the Carolina Hurricanes, Winnipeg Jets and St. [a situation he described](https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/sharks/sharks-timo-meier-yet-field-contract-extension-talks-another-nhl-team) as "challenging."

The Devils acquired star Sharks winger Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks on Sunday, according to The Athletic's Pierre LeBrun.

[per Pierre LeBrun](https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1630018502567264258). ET): The trade is official, NOTE: This is a developing story.

New Jersey buffed its offense in a big way ahead of the trade deadline.

Timo Meier is off to greener pastures after developing into one of the NHL's premier wingers with the San Jose Sharks.

The New Jersey Devils have a trade done to acquire Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks. This is outstanding news for this very good team.

Even if this year is a “learning experience” in the playoffs, they will be expecting to make deep playoff runs every year after for a long time. This gives them a really nice chance to make a deep run in the postseason. Timo Meier is a New Jersey Devil. It took a minute for the terms of the deal to come out. Scott Harrington is coming to New Jersey as well. Hischier also isn’t the only Swiss player that is ready to welcome Meier to the Devils either.

Mukhamadullin, the No. 20 overall pick by New Jersey in the 2020 NHL Draft, is playing in his fourth KHL season for Salavat Yulaev Ufa, with six goals and 19 ...

The 23-year-old racked up six goals, 14 assists and a plus/minus rating of plus-4 in 45 games. Unlike Mukhamadullin, Okhotiuk arrives in the Bay Area with a dash of NHL experience, as he made his debut for the Devils last season. He’s also the low-event, no-fuss, tough-to-play-against, staunch defender that teams still desire in a third-pairing, penalty-kill role.” He’s a throwback in the truest sense and a darn good one. Patience will still important, even with all of his pro experience, but he looks like he’s on a pretty clear NHL path now and there’s more to untap there.” He has driven results at both ends this year with a game that looks more polished and has built a stronger foundation around his raw tools.

These guys are both good players. The cap is what it is and there's no way around it,'” Severson said of Bratt and Meier's pending restricted free agency. “It's ...

But Severson broke the tension with a simple joke: [Devils](http://www.nj.com/devils/) general manager [Tom Fitzgerald](https://www.nj.com/devils/2023/02/report-devils-trade-for-sharks-star-timo-meier-what-it-means.html) worked tirelessly to acquire Swiss star [Timo Meier](https://www.nj.com/devils/2023/02/report-devils-trade-for-sharks-star-timo-meier-what-it-means.html) on Sunday, [Jesper Bratt](https://www.nj.com/devils/2022/12/devils-jesper-bratt-reaffirms-long-term-deal-commitment-as-jan-1-extension-window-looms.html) and [Damon Severson](https://www.nj.com/devils/2022/12/devils-damon-severson-opens-up-about-social-media-scrutiny-sky-high-expectations-for-remaining-schedule.html) were seated at a restaurant, on a double date with their significant others. The dinner was quiet at first – Bratt and Severson were focused on the rampant rumors and speculation on social media amid the long trade process.

The Swiss-born Meier was second on the rebuilding Sharks in scoring this season, with 52 points (31 goals, 21 assists) in 57 games.

When Meier is on the ice, high-event hockey is the norm.” Meier, 26, will be a restricted free agent this off-season after his four-year, $24-million deal expires. is at his best when pushing the pace.

After weeks of trade rumors, Sharks forward Timo Meier finally is on his way to the East Coast in a deal with the Devils.

[a situation he described](https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/sharks/sharks-timo-meier-yet-field-contract-extension-talks-another-nhl-team) as "challenging." Zetterlund, 23, has spent this entire season in the NHL, with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) and a plus-four rating in 45 games for New Jersey. New Jersey looks to reach the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2018 with its newly acquired star. And should New Jersey reach the 2023 Eastern Conference finals (and Meier plays in at least 50 percent of his team's playoff games in 2023) or the 2024 Eastern Conference finals, it would send its own 2024 first-round pick to San Jose (top 10 protected). [Meier had been traded](https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1629960215390048257) early Sunday afternoon. The 21-year-old blueliner also leads his team in plus/minus and power-play goals (three). [recently ranked among the Devils' best](https://theathletic.com/4157261/2023/02/08/devils-nhl-prospect-pool-rankings-2023/), with Mukhamadullin No. He made his NHL debut last season, and has three points (one goal, two assists) in 15 total games. "This trade brings several high-level assets to our organization which can be utilized as we continue to reinvigorate our pool of young, talented and competitive players," Grier said in the team-issued statement. We wish Timo the very best, and he will always remain a part of the San Jose Sharks family for life." "He was drafted here and has grown into one of the NHL's most imposing power forwards and will be missed by his teammates on the ice and our organization off the ice. Meier finishes his seven-season Sharks tenure with 154 goals and 316 points -- both top-10 marks in franchise history -- and is one of four San Jose players with three or more 30-goal seasons.

After weeks of trade rumors, San Jose Sharks forward Timo Meier reportedly has been dealt to the New Jersey Devils.

[a situation he described](https://www.nbcsports.com/bayarea/sharks/sharks-timo-meier-yet-field-contract-extension-talks-another-nhl-team?chrcontext=WTVJ) as "challenging." Zetterlund, 23, has spent this entire season in the NHL, with 20 points (six goals, 14 assists) and a plus-four rating in 45 games for New Jersey. [Meier had been traded](https://twitter.com/PierreVLeBrun/status/1629960215390048257) early Sunday afternoon. New Jersey looks to reach the NHL playoffs for the first time since 2018 with its newly acquired star. And should New Jersey reach the 2023 Eastern Conference finals (and Meier plays in at least 50 percent of his team's playoff games in 2023) or the 2024 Eastern Conference finals, it would send its own 2024 first-round pick to San Jose (top 10 protected). The 21-year-old blueliner also leads his team in plus/minus and power-play goals (three). [recently ranked among the Devils' best](https://theathletic.com/4157261/2023/02/08/devils-nhl-prospect-pool-rankings-2023/), with Mukhamadullin No. He made his NHL debut last season, and has three points (one goal, two assists) in 15 total games. "This trade brings several high-level assets to our organization which can be utilized as we continue to reinvigorate our pool of young, talented and competitive players," Grier said in the team-issued statement. We wish Timo the very best, and he will always remain a part of the San Jose Sharks family for life." "He was drafted here and has grown into one of the NHL's most imposing power forwards and will be missed by his teammates on the ice and our organization off the ice. Meier finishes his seven-season Sharks tenure with 154 goals and 316 points -- both top-10 marks in franchise history -- and is one of four San Jose players with three or more 30-goal seasons.

In the biggest trade of Mike Grier's brief tenure as San Jose's general manager, the Sharks sent winger Timo Meier and defenseman Scott Harrington to New ...

If New Jersey’s first-round pick in 2024 NHL Draft is a top 10 selection, the Devils will have the option to instead transfer its own first-round pick in 2025 NHL Draft to San Jose. Entering Monday, New Jersey had the third-best record in the NHL at 39-15-5. Although the Sharks have missed the playoffs each of the last three seasons, Meier showed at a young age that he could be an impactful postseason performer. He is due a qualifying offer of $10 million if he and the team he is with cannot reach an agreement on a long-term contract before the start of free agency this summer. The 6-foot-1 and 220-pound Meier was drafted ninth overall by the Sharks in 2015. Before sitting out the last three games with what was described by the team as an upper-body injury, Meier, a pending restricted free agent, had 31 goals and 21 assists in 57 games.

Timo Meier, a three-time 30-goal scorer, was traded to the New Jersey Devils by the San Jose Sharks as part of a massive deal.

If New Jersey transfers its 2024 first-round pick under Condition A, New Jersey will instead transfer its own first-round pick in 2025 should they reach the 2024 Eastern Conference final. Harrington has spent the majority of 2022-23 with the Sharks, scoring one goal and six assists in 28 contests. Condition B: If New Jersey reaches this year's Eastern Conference final (and Meier plays in at least 50% of the playoff games) or the 2024 conference finals, New Jersey will transfer its 2024 first-round pick to San Jose (top 10 protected) instead of a second-rounder. In addition to Meier, the Devils get forward Timur Ibragimov, defensemen Scott Harrington and Santeri Hatakka, goaltender Zachary Emond and a 2024 fifth-round pick. They also have to sign RFA Jesper Bratt in the offseason. The Devils add a speedy 6-1, 220-pound power forward with three 30-goal seasons to their talented mix.

Meier has been the top player on the NHL trade market for weeks.

Zetterlund, 23, is in the midst of a decent rookie season with six goals and 14 assists in 45 games. Meier has eclipsed the 30-goal mark in three of those seasons, and he has scored at least 20 goals on five different occasions. With Meier on the ice in five-on-five situations, the Sharks have controlled a staggering 57.84% of the expected goals,