Tom Fitzgerald, GM of the New Jersey Devils, is not beating around the bush on his offseason plans. Fitzgerald told
NHL.com that discussions will begin this week to lock down a star winger to a long-term deal.
Acquired by Trade
At the trade deadline this past season, the Devils gave up a lot to get
Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks. The full list includes forwards
Fabian Zetterlund and
Andreas Johnsson, defensemen
Shakir Mukhamadullin and Nikita Okhotiuk, a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, and a second- and seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Fitzgerald said he didn't give up all that to trade Meier away as a restricted free agent.
"We would love nothing better to tie him up long term. That's our goal. That's what [agent] Claude [Lemieux] and I will go through."
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Post-Season Concerns
Meier, who is 26, did ok with New jersey after coming over at the deadline, scoring nine goals and 14 points in 21 games. However, his performance in the playoffs dropped, with Meier getting just four points in 11 games. Fitzgerald said that doesn't worry him at all.
"It's really hard to come in and understand a new system. "As a player, I've done it twice. It's really hard. Our system's hard too, the [defensive] zone, it's difficult to understand. And it takes some time. Coaches say it takes at least 20 games to get used to a system, so you evaluate your team after 20 games, right? And for sure it took some adjustment."
Meier is coming off a contract that carried a cap hit of $6 million per season. He also has arbitration rights as an RFA if the Devils extend an offer that he's not necessarily happy with.
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