Zizing 'Em Up: Meier braces for possible trade by Sharks before Deadline

NHL.com staff writer Mike Zeisberger has been covering the NHL regularly since 1999. Each Sunday during the season, he will use his extensive network of hockey contacts to write his weekly notes column, "Zizing 'Em Up."

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Timo Meier knows he could be traded any day now.
But in the confines of the San Jose Sharks dressing room, he puck-handles around the issue like he does around opposing defensemen. Whether it be a laughter-filled game of soccer/volleyball he and his teammates concocted inside the bowels of FLA Live Arena here Thursday, or shaking off the minus-4 performance he had in a 4-1 loss to the Florida Panthers later in the day, he's living in the present as a member of the Sharks.
"It's definitely not easy," the 26-year-old forward told NHL.com. "It's a challenging part of our business. Sometimes you have to remind yourself to keep your thoughts on the task ahead, not go too crazy in your head, and just go out there and have fun.
"It's fun to work with the guys, even though we haven't had too much success. It's nice to win and definitely the mood changes when we do. For me, you can only focus on what you can control."

What Meier has been able to control is his play on the ice, which is why he is such a hot commodity on the trade market.
Meier, who can become a restricted free agent after this season, is in the final season of a four-year contract he signed with the Sharks on July 1, 2019. He is owed a $10 million qualifying offer, which would seem to be too rich for a San Jose team that appears to be in the midst of a rebuild; the Sharks (16-26-11) are seventh in the Pacific Division, 17 points behind the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference. NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen pointed out in his weekly mailbag Wednesday that he would be the perfect fit for the New Jersey Devils, and Sportsnet reported that the Carolina Hurricanes have shown interest.
Given his statistics and age, what team wouldn't be interested, especially one in the market for a point-producing wing? The native of Herisau, Switzerland leads the Sharks with 30 goals in 53 games and is on pace to end the season with 46.
"I'm just trying to keep it going and live in the day and play my best hockey," he said. "That's the standpoint I'm at right now. Whatever happens, happens. Like I said, it's part of the business. You have to be able to handle those situations when you want to be a top player in this league, so you have to be up to the challenge."

Meier said he's had brief chats with teammate Erik Karlsson about handling the situation. The 32-year-old defenseman, who leads the Sharks with 70 points (17 goals, 53 assists) in 53 games, said last week he's heard his own name mentioned in recent trade rumors leading up to the NHL Trade Deadline on March 3.
"A little bit," Meier said. "Just having conversations with teammates, they've been helping me whatever way they can. But again, I don't like bringing it up with them. I try to deal with it myself, be a pro, and understand that I owe it to my teammates to go out there every day and give it my best."
All the while, his childhood friends are keeping him updated on the trade gossip.
"It's exciting for my friends back home. I think they enjoy those rumors a little bit more than I do," Meier said with a chuckle. "For me, I don't try to read too much into it. For them, on the other hand, they're obviously anxious to see what happens but try not to get too crazy with it.
"There are conversations you have to have about it, but otherwise, it's just concentrating on the next practice, the next game."

THREE QUESTIONS WITH … BILL DALY

Caught up with the NHL Deputy Commissioner during the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend (Feb. 3-4) on a number of topics.
1. You said you think Toronto, site of the 2024 Honda NHL All-Star Game, is the ideal location. Obviously, it's too early to know what's in store, but do you see the Hockey Hall of Fame in downtown Toronto potentially being a part of the festivities? It seems like the perfect match.
"I think we've done more and more of that in recent years in terms of using the unique attributes of the community to plug into as part of the events, and we're definitely going to do that in Toronto. Look, I was fortunate to be in Toronto the last time the All-Star Game was there back in 2000 and it was great, especially with the hockey history in that market and the way the community and the region embraces the sport. But I think you're going to see an entirely new, modernized event in 2024 and it's going to be exciting. We'll have to wait and see just how."
2. Connor McDavid is the talk of the hockey world, and rightly so. My colleagues and I at NHL.com surveyed current players during All-Star Weekend as to what they think his ceiling is, and many figure he is still ascending. How do you think the Edmonton Oilers forward can best be marketed as one of the faces, if not the face, of the NHL?
"Obviously we'd be stupid if we didn't look for ways to do that. But then, that's got to be something that he's comfortable with and that his agent and his family are comfortable with and that the Oilers are comfortable with. So there's always a balance in doing that. You know, he more than anybody else recognizes his primary job is on the ice every night with the Oilers. But to the extent he can help raise his own profile, but also the profile of the game, we'd be silly not to utilize them in that role as an ambassador.
"Look, in my opinion I don't think we've seen the ceiling yet, which is remarkable. He certainly has separated himself from everybody else in the game in terms of his skill level and how he is continuing to improve. His skill level is on another planet. So it's obviously great for him, it's great for the Oilers, but most importantly, it's great for the game and the National Hockey League."
3. Glenn Healy continues to strengthen the NHL Alumni Association in his role as president. By getting some of the all-time greats of the game on board, like Wayne Gretzky, Mark Messier and Paul Coffey -- who all attended the organizational meetings during All-Star Weekend -- it is becoming more and more unified and helpful to those alumni who need help in various ways. What's your take on the job Glenn has done?
"I addressed the alumni board there. And that that was really the topic of my discussion, which is, this organization has been around for a long time. But under its current leadership, it's on a different level and it's created so many benefits for so many deserving players who formed the foundation of our game and our success today. So really giving back and supporting this organization is a priority of the National Hockey League for sure. Glenn's done a fabulous job."

THE 800 CLUB

Paul Maurice remembers how he paid tribute after his first win as an NHL coach, a 7-3 home victory for the Hartford Whalers against the Sharks on Nov. 7, 1995.
"My wife and I hit the Burger King drive-thru as a celebration dinner on the way home," he recalled with a laugh. "Otherwise I just remember so very little of what happened on the ice because I was just trying to get the next line right. You didn't want to have too many men on the ice and you're staring at the lineup card instead of watching the game.
"It was a reality check. I knew I was over my head and had a lot to learn."
The 56-year-old, now the coach of the Florida Panthers, has come a long way since then. With the Panthers' 7-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday, he became the sixth coach to reach 800 NHL wins, joining Scotty Bowman (1,244), Joel Quenneville (969), Barry Trotz (914), Ken Hitchcock (849) and Lindy Ruff (816).
Despite his success during stints coaching the Whalers, Carolina Hurricanes, Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets and Panthers, he said he doesn't feel he belongs in such elite company.
"I still don't feel I'm a part of that list after 25 or so years," he said. "But I'm still an outsider in some ways. In a good way. The reality is, I didn't play. I'm still a fan. But I didn't win the Stanley Cup.
"I know people say, 'You've had a long career, you've won so many games.' Yeah, it's been a great career. But unless you win a Stanley Cup, you're not in that mix."
He laughed.
"That's why we keep trying, right?"

QUOTE/UNQUOTE

"Oh, I know who you are!"
--The reaction of a wide-eyed Mitchell Marner when he was approached during All-Star Weekend by a Hockey Hall of Famer who extended his hand and said: "Hi Mitch, I'm Mark Messier." The smile on the face of the Toronto Maple Leafs forward was like that of a kid on Christmas morning.

THE SUNDAY LIST

With the trade deadline approaching, a look at three of the biggest acquisitions ahead of the deadline last season.
1. Marc-Andre Fleury, G, Minnesota Wild: Minnesota was looking for a proven winner with Stanley Cup Playoff pedigree, and getting the three-time Stanley Cup champion in a trade with the Chicago Blackhawks on March 21 seemed to fit the bill. But the St. Louis Blues eliminated the Wild in six games in the first round of the playoffs. Fleury subsequently signed a two-year, $7 million contract ($3.5 million average annual value) with Minnesota that runs through next season.
2. Claude Giroux, F, Florida Panthers: Trading for the Philadelphia Flyers captain March 19 paid dividends when he helped the Panthers defeat the Washington Capitals in six games in the first round. But the dream ended one round later when they were swept by the Tampa Bay Lightning in four games. Giroux ended up signing a three-year, $19.5 million contract ($6.5 million AAV) with the Ottawa Senators in the offseason.
3. Hampus Lindholm, D, Boston Bruins: The Bruins were eliminated by the Hurricanes in Game 7 of the first round, but Boston was looking at the big picture when it acquired the veteran defenseman in a trade with the Anaheim Ducks on March 19 and signed him to an eight-year, $52 million contract ($6.5 million AAV) one day later. The 29-year-old has stabilized the Bruins defense and is a key reason Boston (39-8-5) is first in the NHL standings.