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Timo Meier, the Rangers' primary trade deadline target? |
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According to Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli, the Rangers have locked in on the Sharks' Timo Meier as their top target for the upcoming trade deadline, Meier is arguably the top forward, and possibly, best player rumored to be available prior the March 3. The 26-year-lefty shooting left winger has logged 48 points in 51 games this season while firing 227 shots and adding 107 hits across nearly 20 minutes per contest.
I would love to get Meier, who carries a $6-million cap hit before becoming a restricted free agent this summer. Meier's qualifying offer will then be $10 million, which is a major precluding factor in acquiring him. If the view is that he is a rental like Patrick Kane and other unrestricted free agent forwards on the market, then this makes a large amount of sense. But if the goal/thought/expectations are to try and sign him long-term, given that qualifying offer and expected salary, then it makes little sense. That's because a gutting of the team will be required based on the available cap space this off-season and need to sign Filip Chytil and K'Andre Miller, at a minimum, along with Alexis Lafreniere, who should be slightly cheaper.
Plus, if Meier can only play left wing, you have now added another square peg to a round hole. The crying need is for a top-six right wing, If Meier can be that player, especially if a deal can be reached where San Jose eats half of his salary, freeing up the Rangers to possibly add to the bottom-six and a third-pair, left-handed blueliner, then sign me up now.
Per Seravalli, The Rangers have approximately $6.7 million in deadline cap space, according to Cap Friendly. On top of financial flexibility, New York has the assets to swing for the fences before the deadline. The club has two first-round picks in 2023, young NHLers in Alexis Lafreniere and Kaapo Kakko, as well as a prospect pipeline headlined by 2021 first-rounder Brennan Othmann.
While I respect Seravalli, giving up Kakko would be a foolish move. The same for Othmann, who was GM Chris Drury's first draft after he took over the job. This is especially so if Meier is only a rental. Surrendering Laf also would be difficult to do, thought if you keep Kakko and others, that could be the cost to acquire. Othmann, like Laf is a LW, and he too profiles initially as a third liner who should move into the top-six. But will be blocked initially by Atremi Panarin and Chris Kreider, though as we have seen, Kreider is now technically on the third line with the Kid Line as the second trio.
Sharks GM Mike Grier worked in the Rangers' front office as a hockey operations advisor before taking over in San Jose this past offseason. As such, he is highly familiar with the organization and prospect base. In addition, Grier also has a longstanding relationship with Drury from their playing days with the Buffalo Sabres in the mid-2000s.
The market for forwards was set earlier this week as former Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvatwas shipped to the New York Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a conditional first-round pick in 2023. As we all know, the Devils have also been linked to Meier after GM Tom Fitzgerald recently said he's looking to add a top-six forward with cost control at the deadline. I still have the Devils as the odds-on favorite to get Meier, followed closely by the Hurricanes, who will free up cap room by putting Max Pacioretty on LTIR.
if the Blueshirts' front office, including ownership, pushes for a big deal, we all know how this might end.
New York Rangers Blogger • 
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