The 2023 NHL All-Star Game has come and gone in a particularly uneventful fashion. Nothing worth noting happened for San Jose Sharks representative Erik Karlsson, and the Pacific Division team was out in the first round of the bracket. Quite honestly, most of the interesting NHL news came from events outside of the All-Star Game. As a result, the league could be looking at a few fun weeks to come as the trade deadline approaches.
For the Sharks, there is not much to talk about for exciting news outside the possibility of landing Connor Bedard in the offseason. With that said, there are a few notable players fans should be keeping an eye on as the end of the season draws near. There are three players that all Sharks fans should be taking note of following the end of the all-star break.
Timo Meier
Despite Karlsson’s bounceback season, the biggest name among Sharks trade rumors is Timo Meier. Meier, who is in the last year of his contract, is having one of his best seasons to date. He currently sits at 48 points in 51 games, with 28 of his points having been goals. These numbers have attracted a crowd of teams interested in acquiring his services for a playoff run. However, now is the most important time to keep an eye on Meier’s performance.
How Meier plays for the remainder of the time leading up to the trade deadline will determine whether or not a team is willing to take a crack at acquiring him. The asking price is quite high, and Meier needs to prove that he’s worth it. As of right now, he has certainly done that, but a lot can change in a short amount of time.
Related: Three Potential Trade Destinations for Timo Meier
It’s unlikely Meier’s trade value manages to plummet before the trade deadline rolls around. But whether or not a team is willing to bite on the Sharks’ asking price is up for debate, and questions continue to circulate on whether or not they would lower the price. With that said, it is looking more and more likely that Meier will be on a new team to start the 2023-24 season.
Logan Couture
While Meier has been drawing most of the attention in trade talks, there has been a decent amount of chatter regarding the Sharks’ captain, Logan Couture. Couture is in the midst contract that runs until 2027 with an average annual value of $8 million. Obviously, that kind of salary hit will be difficult for any team to find space for, but that doesn’t make it impossible.
Couture currently has 42 points in 51 games, which is around the pace he has consistently scored at over the course of his career. Clearly, he has not quite hit the point of regression, which means the Sharks should really be considering acting sooner rather than later. At 33 years of age, it could only be a matter of time before he begins to slow down.
It’s unlikely that Couture gets dealt at some point this year, but it would not be entirely surprising if he did. His production could catch a few eyes here and there, but the Sharks would likely have to retain salary to get the reward they would likely want in return. However, for now, Couture is likely here to stay.
James Reimer
The trade conversations surrounding James Reimer are completely different from what they seemed to be last year at this time. During the 2021-22 season, Reimer was playing phenomenally for the Sharks, and it seemed like a slam dunk that they would be able to net a return for him at the trade deadline. However, the trade deadline came and went without a trade for him. Now, as this year’s deadline approaches, it looks like the Sharks may have missed their chance.
It’s hard to say that Reimer has been playing poorly with the state of the team, but his .895 save percentage is not as rock-solid as it was last year. There will likely be a few calls from teams looking to add goaltender depth for a playoff run, but not nearly as many teams will be asking for his services. If they trade Reimer for only a small return, the Sharks will have no one but themselves to blame.
The trade deadline is rapidly approaching, and the Sharks look like they’re getting ready to answer the phone for a few of their players. However, trading away current roster players can only do so much to save them from their dumpster fire of a year. Only time will tell if the Sharks will be able to dig themselves out anytime soon, but I wouldn’t hold my breath.
