Does Timo Meier want to join the $9 million club?
That’s what the Athletic’s Pierre Lebrun had to say about the San Jose Sharks star on Thursday. Otherwise, the pending acquisition request is due a qualifying offer of $10 million.
“If a qualifying offer scares teams away, know that it won’t be much cheaper to extend.” Insider wrote. “I think asking for a new contract starts with at least a nine.”
The 26-year-old winger is probably worth it: Since the start of last season, Mayer is 14th in the NHL with 63 goals and tied for the league lead with 549 shots.
It appears Mayer is trying to join a select group of, according to Puckpedia, 22 forwards with a cap of $9 million or more. Among the wingers on this list are Artemy Panarin, Mitch Marner, Patrick Kane, Johnny Goudreau, Mark Stone, Alex Ovechkin, Nikita Kucherov, Matthew Tkachuk, Mikko Rantanen, Kirill Kaprizov, and Jeff Skinner.
Tkachuk is the newest member of this group — he signed an eight-year, $76 million (US$9.5 million) contract in July 2022 — and all that said, he’s reasonable company. Like Meier, Tkachuk was a RFA commentator before his big payday – even though he’s the junior (24) and is generally considered the best of the two elite wings.
So who’s picking up a tab on Meyer?
The prevailing thought, for now, is that it wouldn’t be the San Jose Sharks. LeBrun, for one, believes GM Mike Grier will eventually trade Meier. For what it’s worth, I do too.
For now, Meyer is with the Sharks. His agent, Claude Lemieux, didn’t slam the door on Mayer’s recent return, telling San Jose Hockey now, “Both options are still very real, trade or sign.”
Lemieux doesn’t close the door on Meier’s return to the Sharks
So how will Meyer’s new contract, let’s say eight years, $72 million, fit into the San Jose Sharks’ salary structure next season?
Here’s what San Jose has on the books next year:
| attackers | 2023-24 |
|---|---|
| Meyer, Timo | $9 million |
| Hertel, Thomas | $8,137,500 |
| Couture, Logan | $8,000,000 |
| LaBanque, Kevin | $4,725,000 |
| Konin, Luke | $2,750,000 |
| Lindblom, Oscar | $2,500,000 |
| Barabanov, Alexander | $2,500,000 |
| Nico Sturm | $2,000,000 |
| Lorentz, Stephen | $1,050,000 |
| sum | $40,662,500 |
| defense | 2023-24 |
| Carlson. Eric | $11,500,000 |
| Vlasic, Mark Edward | $7,000,000 |
| Ferraro, Mario | $3,250,000 |
| Simek, Radim | $2,250,000 |
| Benning, Matthew | $1,250,000 |
| McDonald, Jacob | $762,500 |
| Megna, Jacob | $762,500 |
| sum | $26,775,000 |
| Objectives | 2023-24 |
| Kähkönen, Kapo | $2,750,000 |
| sum | $2,750,000 |
| retained | 2023-24 |
| Burns, Brent | $2,720,000 |
| sum | $2,720,000 |
| Purchase | 2023-24 |
| Jones, Martin | $2,916,667 |
| Cherry, Rudolfs | $308,334 |
| sum | $3,225,001 |
| 2023-24 total | $76,132,501 |
It looks like there’s about $7 million left for four more forwards and a goalkeeper, which isn’t much. So the Sharks will likely make other drastic moves to fit into Mayer’s new contract. But it is possible.
“It would be nice if we didn’t [have to worry about the salary cap]’” Greer recently said, “But we do, and there’s only so much money to go around.” “
Grier is willing to trade to Karlsson & Meier, but is also happy to keep it
Welcome to your new home for breaking San Jose Sharks news, analysis, and opinion. Like us FacebookFollow us Twitter and do not forget Subscribe to SJHN+ All members-only content from Sheng Peng and the National Hockey Now Network plus an ad-free browsing experience.