The New Jersey Devils have acquired Timo Meier, Scott Harrington, Timur Ibragimov, Santeri Hatakka,  Zachary Emond, and a 2024 fifth-round pick from the San Jose Sharks for a 2023 first-round pick, a 2024 conditional first-round pick, a 2024 seventh-round pick, Fabian Zetterlund, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Nikita Okhotiuk, and Andreas Johnsson.

The trade took a while to announced due to an issue with one of the players involved, but it seemed more and more apparent on Sunday that Meier would be going to New Jersey. He provides the Devils with a potential top-line and first power-play left winger who could slot alongside either Jack Hughes or Nico Hischier. The Devils already boast a top-5 offense that will only get stronger with the addition of Meier, who has back-to-back 30-goal seasons while averaging over four shots per game.

The top scorers on the Devils all stand to benefit both at even strength and on the power play: Hughes, Hischier, Jesper Bratt, and now Meier. Given the Devils' recent line combintations, Yegor Sharangovich could be moved off the Hughes line to make room for Meier. The Devils had signed Ondrej Palat likely hoping he could be a Meier-lite, but he has been somewhat disappointing (0 PTS in last 6 GP). Palat could get bumped off the first power play to make room for Meier, who has 18 power-play points this season.

The Sharks receive a grab bag of prospects and picks for Meier, hoping that at least one or two of them will hit. The only player likely to jump into the Sharks' lineup right away is Zetterlund, who might receive a go as a top-6 forward. Zetterlund was clearly more productive with Nico Hischier or Jack Hughes as his center than Erik Haula or Michael McLeod. Meier's spot on the first-unit power play would most likely be taken by Kevin Labanc, but other options could also include Zetterlund, Nick Bonino (who was used on PP1 last game), or Michael Eyssimont (who has been used on a scoring line with Logan Couture and Alexander Barabanov). Not having Meier will hurt the Sharks' power play significantly, as Meier has scored 13 of the team’s 30 power-play goals this season.

Players this helps, in order:

Hughes

Hischier

Bratt

Meier

Dougie Hamilton

Labanc

Zetterlund

Players this hurts, in order:

Palat

Sharangovich

Tomas Tatar

Couture

Tomas Hertl

Erik Karlsson

Alexander Barabanov

–

Discuss the trade in this thread on the Forum.