Timo Meier rumour - Sabres contact Sharks

[Sabres73]

Is there a way to get Meier that makes sense for the Sabres? He's a pending RFA that seems pretty pricey, despite our current manageable cap situation.

"The 26-year-old has a cap hit of $6 million this season, but due to receiving $9 million in salary, his qualifying offer is set at double digits this summer."

It seems to be antithetical to GMKA's philosophy up to this point. What would it take, and would it be worth it?

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/buffalo-sabres-among-teams-to-contact-san-jose-sharks-on-pending-rfa-timo-meier-1.1910847 

 

[inkman]

If I’m SJ, I’m asking for this years 1st, Jack Quinn and Juri Kulich 

[MBD]

Will that contract piss off TNT?

[Sabres Fan in NS]

He would be a good addition.  A true *power forward*, which is lacking right now.  I don't think any Sabre on the roster or coming soon will fill the role as well as Timo.

I watched him in Halifax.  He is big and has a good scoring touch too.

I'm with Inky ... the price will be too high unless SJ really are done with him.  Then the price may fall a bit.  Not many teams could take on his QO at this point.  I don't think he will command $10M on a long term deal, but tht has to be a consideration too.

I don't think anything is imminent.  This may be an offseason thing.

If everything works out then I would like to have him in the Sabres, but at the end of the day I don't think it will happen.

Just now, MBD said:

Will that contract piss off TNT?

No.

[Doohicksie]

1 minute ago, MBD said:

Will that contract piss off TNT?

I've seen no indication of contract envy, or oven the hint of it, from Tage.  At the time he signed he was thrilled by the Sabres' faith in him.  Now that he's exceeding his contract I think he's still grateful for the investment the team made in him.

[matter2003]

52 minutes ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

He would be a good addition.  A true *power forward*, which is lacking right now.  I don't think any Sabre on the roster or coming soon will fill the role as well as Timo.

I watched him in Halifax.  He is big and has a good scoring touch too.

I'm with Inky ... the price will be too high unless SJ really are done with him.  Then the price may fall a bit.  Not many teams could take on his QO at this point.  I don't think he will command $10M on a long term deal, but tht has to be a consideration too.

I don't think anything is imminent.  This may be an offseason thing.

If everything works out then I would like to have him in the Sabres, but at the end of the day I don't think it will happen.

No.

Tuch doesn't qualify as a power forward?

9 hours ago, Sabres73 said:

Is there a way to get Meier that makes sense for the Sabres? He's a pending RFA that seems pretty pricey, despite our current manageable cap situation.

"The 26-year-old has a cap hit of $6 million this season, but due to receiving $9 million in salary, his qualifying offer is set at double digits this summer."

It seems to be antithetical to GMKA's philosophy up to this point. What would it take, and would it be worth it?

https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/buffalo-sabres-among-teams-to-contact-san-jose-sharks-on-pending-rfa-timo-meier-1.1910847 

 

Could just be a case of seeing what they want and doing his due dilligence.

9 hours ago, inkman said:

If I’m SJ, I’m asking for this years 1st, Jack Quinn and Juri Kulich 

That's never happening.

[GASabresIUFAN]

His qualifying offer is $10 million.  Has KA shown any indication he is will to fork over that $ contract long-term to someone who wasn't developed here, who he isn't sure will be a fit here?  He has been very clear he wants to lock up his core - TNT, Cozens, Dahlin, Mule and Power.  He is also clear that he isn't bringing in rentals.    I just don't see it.  

[klos1963]

9 hours ago, inkman said:

If I’m SJ, I’m asking for this years 1st, Jack Quinn and Juri Kulich 

The only way for the sabres to consider that offer is if we can agree to a contract during trade negotiations. Can't give up that much for a rental. Getting Meier would be a tremendous acquisition.

Edited January 26, 2023 by klos1963

[nfreeman]

Eichel isn't a perfect comparable due to the injury risk, but OTOH he was probably viewed as having higher upside and he plays a higher-value position in 1C, so maybe the price will be about the same:  top-6 forward who is young and under team control for a while, blue-chip prospect, #1 and #2.

The Sabres' picks are more valuable than Vegas' picks were at the time of the Eichel trade, because everyone assumed the Vegas picks would be pretty late in the respective rounds, while the Sabres are still fairly likely to be in the lottery -- and there is a major lottery prize this year as well.

The Sabres aren't trading TT, Tuch or Cozens, or Power, Muel or Dahlin, and SJ isn't taking Skinner.

That leaves:

- Good, young roster player under team control:  JJP, Quinn, Mitts, Krebs or Joki

- Blue-chip prospect:  Kulich, Rosen or Östlund

- #1 -- the Sabres would almost certainly require top-3 or maybe just top-1 protection

- #2

I can't see SJ accepting a Sabres offer that doesn't include JJP or Quinn.  And it's pretty hard to see KA trading one of those 2.  But maybe.

[Pimlach]

9 hours ago, inkman said:

If I’m SJ, I’m asking for this years 1st, Jack Quinn and Juri Kulich 

No way would I do that trade. 

[LGR4GM]

IF he had term left or he didn't have a 10mil qualifying offer, I think this would be plausible. You trade Olofsson for a 1st and probably a 2nd or something like that. You use that to trade for Meier. You probably lose Rosen or Östlund. Both would be players SJ might want to pair with Eklund. 

So it basically looks like: Olofsson to ??? for a 1st and B prospect

That 1st + Rosen OR Östlund + Rousek + a 2nd? 

But that might be too low for SJ, I think the issue is the contract. If I can get Meier to 7x6 years, I probably pull the trigger but with a 10mil qualifier, he might want 10x7

[GASabresIUFAN]

There is no question Meier is an excellent player with a skill set we can benefit from.  

Pros

1) Power forward and Pt a game player 

2) Another goal scorer -35 last year and already 28 this year

3) Only 26 - so he'd have a chance to be a core piece.

4) Has playoff experience and was excellent for the sharks in 2018-19 playoffs

5) Physical player who has 104 hits ytd. Nearly twice Sabres forward leader Girgensons has.

Cons

1) Q offer $10 mill - if signed long-term, will that limit KA's ability to re-sign other core guys long-term and/or hinder our ability to retain adequate depth.

2) Don't know if he'd be a fit in the locker-room

3) Don't know if he'd sign an extension to facilitate a trade here.

4) Don't know how much of his precious assets KA is willing to trade.

Edited January 26, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Dr. Who]

Just now, GASabresIUFAN said:

There is no question Meier is an excellent player with a skill set we can benefit from.  

Pros

1) Power forward and Pt a game player 

2) Another goal scorer -35 last year and already 28 this year

3) Only 26 - so he'd have a chance to be a core piece.

4) Has playoff experience and was excellent for the sharks in 2018-19 playoffs

5) Physical player who has 104 hits ytd. Nearly twice Sabres leader Girgensons has.

Cons

1) Q offer $10 mill - if signed long-term, will that limit KA's ability to re-sign other core guys long-term and/or hinder our ability to retain adequate depth.

2) Don't know if he'd be a fit in the locker-room

3) Don't know if he'd sign an extension to facilitate a trade here.

4) Don't know how much of his precious assets KA is willing to trade.

I'll just address the cons. The pros are on point. 1) If you can add a player of his talent, I'd worry about adequate depth later. 2) Unless he's been a problem before, don't you more or less have to make an educated guess and go with it if you surmise it could work. 3) Shouldn't you be able to talk to the agent and see before you pull the trigger. 4) If he isn't willing, the trade won't happen.

Personally, I think he'd be a nice piece to the puzzle, but I have a feeling the asking price will be too steep.

[WhenWillItEnd66]

This is a hard one. He is 1 billion % what the Sabres need. IS the price to high for him? I honestly do not think so. He has a proven record of the last few years worth of work to show what he can do. The big thing is SJ going to allow to talk to him to confirm a long term contract, he WANTS to be here, and bring him in at a decent contract. We do NOT have this type of player in the system right now. So getting someone like him in a trade is our best bet.

 

[tom webster]

For the record, he’s a strong, tough to play against forward with elite skill but at 6’1”, big might not be the word I would use.

 

I still don’t think they end up getting him but three things I believe to be absolutes.

1) Quinn and JJP aren’t going anywhere.

2) Cozens play has them thinking they can speed up this process by giving him an elite, experienced winger and moving JJP or Quinn to Jost line

3) All 3 of last year’s picks are in play as well as Rosen and I wouldn’t be shocked if any of them are included in any deal.
 

[MattPie]

For that kind of money, he has to be an immediate core player, and the Sabres likely need to ship out one of the budding core players in return. There's no way the Sabres are going to be able to pay Dahlin, Power, Skinner, Cozens, and Tage plus Meier and have enough left for depth. (given they all continue playing and improving).

[Captain Caveman]

1 hour ago, MBD said:

Will that contract piss off TNT?

I think it's a fair question, but if you're Tage don't you just want the team to be as good as possible?  What kind of ***** is going to be mad if we bring in better players (who happen to have been luckier in contract negotiation / timing)?

[Eleven]

15 minutes ago, MattPie said:

For that kind of money, he has to be an immediate core player, and the Sabres likely need to ship out one of the budding core players in return. There's no way the Sabres are going to be able to pay Dahlin, Power, Skinner, Cozens, and Tage plus Meier and have enough left for depth. (given they all continue playing and improving).

And a goalie, too.

[mjd1001]

He is a good player obviously, but I am at the same spot I am with a lot of these trade proposals....unless you are getting someone for an incredible deal (not too many assets AND a market-level-at-highest contract) I am not super interested now.  That doesn't mean that there won't come a time when a deal like this might make more sense.  But at the moment, the team is getting better. They seem to be a good group together in the locker room. You have young guys that are still developing.  I'm not in a rush to pay a lot to accelerate things when I, personally, think things are progressing forward at a good rate now.

[Eleven]

Obviously, from my comments in the Dallas game thread, I am of the opinion that the Sabres have an impending salary cap problem.  If the Sharks want to do a rental deal as if Meier was becoming a UFA, I'd consider it, but I don't think SJ is up for that.  I don't think the Sabres can afford to pick him up.

[inkman]

1 hour ago, matter2003 said:

Tuch doesn't qualify as a power forward?

Could just be a case of seeing what they want and doing his due dilligence.

That's never happening.

 

1 hour ago, klos1963 said:

The only way for the sabres to consider that offer is if we can agree to a contract during trade negotiations. Can't give up that much for a rental. Getting Meier would be a tremendous acquisition.

 

45 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

No way would I do that trade. 

These are the reactions I was expecting.  I don’t want to give up these assets either but these fairy tale proposals where we just offer assets we don’t really care about (ie. Mittlestadt, Olofsson, Östlund, draft picks down the road, Rosen) are mind numbing.  At least one of the things going to SJ will hurt.  Whether it’s Quinn, Peterka, this years 1st, Kulich, or Savoie. One of them has to be included unless the SJ GM is a puddle of poo.   

[Eleven]

I don't think it hurt St. Louis one bit--they didn't know what Thompson was going to turn into--to make the ROR deal.  Those deals do happen once in a while.  I just don't think the Sabres can afford him.

Edited January 26, 2023 by Eleven

[Mustache of God]

4 minutes ago, inkman said:

 

 

These are the reactions I was expecting.  I don’t want to give up these assets either but these fairy tale proposals where we just offer assets we don’t really care about (ie. Mittlestadt, Olofsson, Östlund, draft picks down the road, Rosen) are mind numbing.  At least one of the things going to SJ will hurt.  Whether it’s Quinn, Peterka, this years 1st, Kulich, or Savoie. One of them has to be included unless the SJ GM is a puddle of poo.   

Maybe the Sharks GM, former Sabres legend Mike Grier is actually sleeper agent and this is a long con to improve the Sabres. Karlsoon + Meier for Mitts + Ben Bishop and a 2nd round pick. Who says no?

[Weave]

For too long I watched excellent but expensive players like Vanek, Pominville, etc get traded away from us for magic beans.  I have no loyalty towards the magic beans we are now in possession of.  Some of them will shine, some will not be all we hoped.  Some will wither and die.  I’d gladly consider a couple of our magic beans as partial payment towards a legit high end player that improves the team.  No hesitation.

$10M per year though.  KA would have to have a solid plan regarding how to manage that impact.  I suspect it would mandate that at least one of our decent non core players be moved for nothing immediate to accommodate Meier’s contract when Dahlin, Power, Cozens come due.

Edited January 26, 2023 by Weave

[thewookie1]

1 minute ago, Eleven said:

I don't think it hurt St. Louis one bit--they didn't know what Thompson was going to turn into--to make the ROR deal.  Those deals do happen once in a while.  I just don't think the Sabres can afford him.

I more or less in your camp

I was fooling around with capfriendly in 2 years and we have a metric ton of players to sign or resign by then.

I had

Dahlin 8x10.5mil

Cozens 8x8mil

Power 8x9mil 

Quinn & Peterka are Pending RFA's at year's end

 

Notable RFA's

Mitts (does he earn another contract?)

Krebs (what will he want?)

UPL (What will his stats allow him to ask for and Is Levi ready for back up role or does he need 2 full AHL seasons?)

Jost (Do we keep him at 2mil?)

Jokiharju (Has he become a solid dman worthy of a new contract?)

Notable UFA's

Olofsson (will he be capable of pushing beyond his current state of being)

Okposo (is he still hanging around?)

Girgensons (easily could still be an effective 4th liner)

 

Other Questions

Ryan Johnson?

Rousek?

Kulich. Rosen, Savoie, Östlund.... who's ready if any?

 

My shot in the dark

Krebs 3 x 3.35mil

UPL 3 x 4mil

Jokiharju 3 x 4mil

Mittelstadt 2 x 3mil

Jost 2 x 2mil

Rousek 2 x 1.575mil