Jeff Bottari/NHLI by way of Getty Photos
Whereas it appeared just like the St. Louis Blues could be full sellers on the commerce deadline after shifting on from Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly this winter, it seems the franchise hasn’t dominated out turning into a purchaser.
The Blues inquired with the San Jose Sharks a few deal for Timo Meier, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. This comes amid rumors linking him to the Carolina Hurricanes and New Jersey Devils.
The Blues traded Tarasenko to the New York Rangers on Feb. 9 in change for Sammy Blais, protection prospect Hunter Skinner, a conditional first-round choose within the 2023 draft and a fourth-round choose within the 2024 draft.
The franchise adopted that up by trading Ryan O’Reilly and Noel Acciari to the Toronto Maple Leafs on Feb. 17 in a three-team commerce that additionally included the Minnesota Wild. St. Louis obtained Adam Gaudette, prospect Mikhail Abramov, a 2023 first-round choose, a 2023 third-round choose and a 2024 second-round choose within the deal.
The Blues now have three first-round picks on this 12 months’s draft. Seravalli believes the franchise will “leverage” these first-round picks to herald Meier and signal him to a long-term extension to make him a part of their core alongside Jordan Kyrou, Robert Thomas and Brayden Schenn.
Meier is within the remaining 12 months of a four-year, $24 million contract he signed with the Shark in July 2019.
With San Jose nicely out of a playoff spot at 18-29-11 and headed for a rebuild, Meier is among the group’s greatest commerce chips alongside two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson.
The 26-year-old has molded himself right into a constant 30-plus aim scorer. In 77 video games final season, he tallied 35 objectives and 41 assists for 76 factors. By way of 57 video games this season, he is notched 31 objectives and 21 assists for 52 factors.
Whereas Meier will surely assist St. Louis enhance, the Blues presently sit nicely out of a playoff spot with a 26-27-3 document, so his acquisition could be extra essential for the way forward for the franchise.
Whereas the Hurricanes and Devils are enthusiastic about Meier, the Blues is perhaps higher positioned to land the star ahead as San Jose is asking for a first-round choose and a high-end prospect or a first-round choose and two Grade B prospects, per SJ Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng.