It has been a year since the San Jose Sharks traded forward Timo Meier to the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 26, 2023, in a blockbuster deal that changed both organization’s futures. The Sharks added valuable pieces for their rebuild, including Fabian Zetterlund, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Nikita Okhotiuk, and a first-round pick in 2023 that became Quentin Musty. San Jose also received a conditional second-round pick and a seventh-round pick in the 2024 Draft. Meanwhile, the Devils acquired a player who they hoped would push them closer to Stanley Cup contention, but that hasn’t been the case so far. Here’s a look at the trade one year later.
Sharks Acquisitions Making an Impact
The emergence of Zetterlund has been a silver lining to an otherwise difficult season in 2023-24. While he played well with the Devils in 2021-22 and 2022-23, he struggled when he arrived in San Jose, recording three assists in 22 games. Compared to his 20 points in 45 games with the Devils before the trade, it was a bit of a disappointment. This season, he has found his footing and also discovered a level of goal-scoring talent that he’d never shown in the NHL. Through 56 games, he has a career-high 15 goals, which may not sound like much, but he is tied with Tomas Hertl for the team lead.
The defensemen acquired in the trade have also been making an impact. Although Mukhamadullin has spent most of the season with the San Jose Barracuda of the American Hockey League, he impressed the Sharks during his short stint with the team when he was called up in January. I expect him to be recalled after the deadline and stay with the team for the remainder of the season.
Okhotiuk, on the other hand, has carved out a role for himself as a physical presence on the Sharks’ blue line who can also make great defensive plays. He has been bouncing in and out of the lineup while head coach David Quinn experiments with a mostly healthy defensive core – Matt Benning won’t be back this season. Okhotiuk has contributed a bit offensively, but the most impactful part of his game is in the defensive zone. He’s not going to be a star, but similar to Ty Emberson, he should make himself a valuable member of the team for years to come.
Musty is still playing with the Sudbury Wolves of the Ontario Hockey League, and he’s taken a step forward as well. The 26th overall pick in the 2023 Draft is developing nicely for the Sharks, as he’s nearly reached his point total from last season in fewer games. In 2022-23, he scored 78 points in 53 games, 26 of which were goals. This season, he has 28 goals and 71 points in 41 games. He’s also become more dangerous on the power play, going from three power-play goals last season to nine in 2023-24. Musty should be in the NHL sooner rather than later.
Meier’s Struggles and Hatakka’s Emergence
Things haven’t exactly gone to plan for the Devils since they acquired Meier last season. General manager Tom Fitzgerald signed the Swiss forward to an eight-year extension, which kicked in this season, but Meier has 11 goals and 13 assists through 45 games this season. Part of the reason for his decrease in offensive production is his lack of usage on the first power-play unit. He’s running on New Jersey’s second unit, but most of the team’s high-end offensive firepower is on the first. He had 18 power-play points in his last two seasons with the Sharks, down to seven this season.
Meier’s underlying numbers are fine, and he’s had some injury troubles in New Jersey, which has likely contributed to his lower production levels. Although things look rough now, he’ll eventually return to form.
The Devils are seven points out of the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference standings, a far cry from contending for the Stanley Cup, as expected. A major part of their struggles is their goaltending and the injury to key defenseman Dougie Hamilton. But overall, like Meier, the Devils should bounce back next season.
While Meier was the Devils’ focal point in this trade, they also acquired Santeri Hatakka in the deal. The Finnish defenseman was a sixth-round pick by the Sharks in 2019. He had played a few games in the NHL but spent most of his time in the organization with the Barracuda after he moved to North America. His offensive production has jumped with the AHL’s Utica Comets this season, and he has even made a few appearances for New Jersey, even playing over 20 minutes on Feb. 8 against the Calgary Flames. It remains to be seen if he’ll become an NHL regular, but he could end up being a solid asset for the Devils.
Related: Sharks Veterans Can Play Pivotal Role Ahead of Trade Deadline
It’s too early to pick a winner in this trade between the Sharks and Devils. Both teams acquired valuable assets that will be key to their future and help them reach their short-term and long-term goals. Most likely, this trade will be remembered as one that benefited both organizations, even if Meier hasn’t performed as expected for his new team so far.