The New York Rangers have locked in on San Jose Sharks star Timo Meier as their top target for the upcoming trade deadline, Daily Faceoff's Frank Seravalli reports.
Meier is arguably the best player rumored to be available for the March 3 frenzy. The versatile 26-year-old has logged 48 points in 51 games this season while firing 227 shots and adding 107 hits across nearly 20 minutes per contest.
He carries a $6-million cap hit before becoming a restricted free agent this summer. Meier's qualifying offer will then be $10 million.
Sharks general manager Mike Grier worked in the Rangers' front office as a hockey operations advisor before taking over in San Jose this past offseason. He also has a longstanding relationship with Rangers GM Chris Drury from their playing days with the Buffalo Sabres in the mid-2000s.
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.
The market for forwards was set earlier this week as former Vancouver Canucks captain Bo Horvat was shipped to the New York Islanders for Anthony Beauvillier, Aatu Raty, and a conditional first-round pick in 2023.
The New Jersey 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.
As it stands, the Devils and Rangers are set to face each other in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.
