How NHL experts graded Sharks-Devils blockbuster Timo trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
Sharks general manager Mike Grier made a huge splash Sunday by trading forward Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils.
The full blockbuster trade included nine players and four draft picks.
San Jose receives: Defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotiuk, forwards Fabian Zetterlund and Andreas Johnsson, three draft picks — 2023 first-rounder, 2024 conditional first-rounder and 2024 seventh-rounder.
New Jersey receives: Meier, defensemen Scott Harrington and Santeri Hatakka, forward Timur Ibragimov, goaltender Zach Emond, 2024 fifth-round pick.
Whew. Got all that? Now that the dust has settled from another big trade in the Bay Area, it’s time to scour the internet for grades from NHL writers:
Sharks: C+; Devils: A+
“On the Sharks’ end, the absence of any of the Devils’ tip-top pieces — Mercer, Alexander Holtz, Luke Hughes — is going to leave people disappointed. But Grier can only take the deals that he was offered, and the process here — from the nature of the initial ask to the fact that we watched the other contenders effectively bow out, one by one — was sound.
“It’s unfortunate for the Sharks, given the long-term value Meier represents, but those are the breaks. The prices are never as high as we’re led to believe, and Mukhamadullin would be the top prospect in plenty of orgs.”
Sharks: C; Devils: A
“One former NHL front office member recently told us that “if you’re a seller, it has to be quality over quantity” at the trade deadline. I’m afraid GM Mike Grier did not follow that rule.
“… Maybe we look back on this deal more favorably if the pick conditions are met and Meier is no longer a Devil in 2025. For now, it’s an average return for an exceptional player.”
Sharks: B; Devils: B+
“San Jose acquires a lot of valuable assets in this deal, even if no one asset rises to the level of the next Meier. When you compare what San Jose acquired compared to what other teams got in recent trade of top wings with term remaining — like Max Pacioretty to Vegas, Sam Reinhart to Florida and Alex DeBrincat to Ottawa — they actually fared quite well even if they didn’t get an absolute premium asset.
“I think it’s likely the Sharks got two or three NHL players with long careers heading and Mukhamdullin has a solid chance to have an impactful career.”
Sharks: D; Devils: A+
“Getting two first rounders out of New Jersey saves this deal from being a complete failure, but failing to get any of the Devils’ top prospects is quite disappointing. Mike Grier had leverage here with Meier, as multiple teams were in on the forward and yet this is the deal the Sharks settled on.”
Sharks: C+; Devils: A
“The package doesn’t blow me away — again, no Hughes, Nemec, Holtz, or Mercer — or feel like a complete ripoff. With a middle-of-the-pack prospect base and an NHL roster lacking star power and depth, Sharks GM Mike Grier went for the quantity-over-quality play. And if the first and Mukhamadullin both hit in a few years, he could look smart in hindsight.”
Sharks: B; Devils: A-
Time will tell if the conditions get met on the 2024 pick, but this isn’t as bad a return as it seems. It’s reminiscent of what the Devils got for Taylor Hall in 2019; they turned the assets from that deal into Jonas Siegenthaler and Dawson Mercer. The Sharks got better young players in this deal than the Devils did for Hall, a decent bit of business for general manager Mike Grier, especially if he turns the extra picks into NHL talent.
Sharks: B-; Devils: A
“On one hand, the total package Grier got for Meier seems to check the necessary boxes: top prospect, first-round pick, viable NHL player. It meets the standard. But it doesn’t do much more than that, does it?
RELATED: Three takeaways from Sharks’ blockbuster Meier deal with Devils
“The fact San Jose couldn’t pry one of the Devils true top prospects for the single best trade asset on the market feels like a mild disappointment. But it’s a reasonable haul when you factor in that Meier hasn’t signed an extension.”
