Breaking: Timo Meier dealt to New Jersey Devils in blockbuster move

The Timo Meier deal is finally done, and it’s an absolute blockbuster. The New Jersey Devils have substantially upgraded their forward group by trading with the San Jose Sharks for Meier and Scott Harrington.

Going the other way is Fabian Zetterlund, Andreas Johnsson, Nikita Okhotyuk, Shakir Mukhamadullin, a 2023 first-round pick and a conditional 2024 first-round pick.

The return is a huge one for the Sharks, who get a premium shipment of young talent and prospects, including one of the Devils' three first-round picks in 2020 in Mukhamadullin.

Meier, meanwhile, is an elite talent at forward. With the star going into an RFA contract negotiation at the end of the season, the Devils intend to keep Timo Meier around for the long haul, even if that does mean possibly paying him $10 million AAV to match his RFA status.

Also included in the deal is Scott Harrington, one of the Sharks' top pairing defensemen this season. Harrington, 29, signed on a league minimum deal that ends at the close of the season.

As far as the lines go, it’s going to be exciting to see how the Devils match up Timo Meier in their lineup. The Devils didn’t trade a single player in their top four lines, meaning we could see Nathan Bastian or Miles Wood get scratched or moved. Seeing Meier fit in on the second line with Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt would create one of the most electric young lines in ice hockey.

The trade certainly isn’t a wash for the Sharks. They get two players - Fabian Zetterlund and Mukhamadullin - who are nearly NHL ready and should be useful contributors in the future. The Devils also get two picks, a middling prospect in Okhotyuk and a journeyman winger in Johnsson.

Devils could have an elite winger in Timo Meier for the foreseeable future

The move for the Devils is the latest in a massive Eastern Conference arms race affecting the top half of the NHL. Every team in the top three in each Eastern division has made a substantial upgrade in an area of need in the last two weeks. Everyone but the Tampa Bay Lightning, that is (which could come later this week).

It’s far too early to say who won this trade. The Devils were worried about making it happen due to the Sharks not being able to extend Meier before a trade. Only in the last 48 hours did they change their tune and get the deal over the line regardless of RFA status.

Whatever the case, if the Devils extend Timo Meier past the 2023 NHL season, they should have an elite winger on their team for years to come.