One of the bigger NHL trade deadline rumors became fact on Sunday. The San Jose Sharks sent 26-year old defenseman Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils. In a separate deal, Vegas obtained winger Ivan Barbashev from the St. Louis Blues.
Meier was the ninth overall pick in the 2015 NHL draft. In seven seasons with the Sharks, he topped 20 goals five times and 30 goals three times. Along with Meier, the Devils will receive Timur Ibragimov, defensemen Scott Harrington, Santeri Hatakka, goaltender Zachary Emond and a fifth-round pick (originally Colorado’s selection) in the 2024 NHL Draft.
San Jose receives picks and players
In exchange, San Jose will receive three draft picks from New Jersey. A first-rounder this year and a fourth and seventh in 2024. The Sharks also get defensemen Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotiuk, forwards Andreas Johnsson and Fabian Zetterlund. San Jose will retain 50% of Meier’s 2022-23 salary as part of the trade.
The trade is huge for the Devils who boast a record of 39-15-5 (83 points) and are in second place in the Metropolitan Division. They entered Sunday three points behind the division-leading Hurricanes and eight points ahead of the Rangers. New York is working on a deal to acquire Patrick Kane.
Barbashev headed to Vegas
The Vegas Golden Knights acquired St. Louis Blues winger Ivan Barbashev. In return, the Blues get Zach Dean, a former 2021 first-round pick. Dean has 24 goals and 49 points in 50 games in the QMJHL this season.
The 27-year-old Barbashev has 10 goals and 29 points in 59 games this season. He’s on pace for a 14/40 season after a 21-22 season that saw him produce a career-high 26 goals and 60 points.
Barbashev is a great depth piece for Vegas. He’ll help on both the penalty kill and power play and will help ease the loss of Mark Stone who is on the injured list due to back issues.
Vegas clinging to the conference lead
The Golden Knights entered Sunday with the best record in the Western Conference. They’re two points clear of the second-place LA Kings and one of four Pacific Division teams that are separated by a mere six-points.
The NHL trade deadline is Friday, March 3.
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
