SUNRISE, Florida – Timo Meier knows he could be hit by a trade any day.
But in the San Jose Sharks dressing room, he plays around the issue the way he does with opposing defensemen. Whether it’s a football/volleyball game he and his teammates dreamed up Thursday in the catacombs of FLA Live Arena, or shaking off the minus 4 record he lost later in the day in the 4-1 loss to Florida Panthers – he lives in the present as a member of the Sharks.
“It’s definitely not easy,” the 26-year-old forward told NHL.com. “It’s a challenge in our business. Sometimes you have to remind yourself to focus on the task at hand, don’t freak out too much and just get out there and have fun.”
“It’s fun working with the lads, even if we haven’t had that much success yet. It’s nice to win and the mood definitely changes when we win. For me, it’s just focusing on that what you can control.”
What Meier can control is his game on the ice, which is why he is a hot potato in the transfer market.
Meier, who could become a restricted free agent after this season, is in the final season of a four-year contract he signed with the Sharks on July 1, 2019. He’s up for a qualifying offer of $10m, which may be too much for the San Jose club in the midst of a rebuild. The Sharks (16-26-11) are seventh in the Pacific Division, 17 points behind the Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames, who are battling for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference. NHL.com senior writer Dan Rosen indicated in his weekly Mailbag Wednesday that Meier would be a perfect match for the New Jersey Devils, and Sportsnet reported that the Carolina Hurricanes have expressed interest.
Video: SJS@TBL: Meier on the overtime win
Given their stats and age, what team wouldn’t be interested, especially if they’re looking for a winger who knows how to score? Born in Herisau, he leads the Sharks with 30 goals in 53 games and is about to end the season with 46 goals.
“I’m just trying to carry on as I have been, live for the day and play my best hockey,” he said. “That’s where I am at the moment. Whatever happens, it happens. Like I said, it’s part of the business. You have to be able to deal with situations like that if you want to be a top player in this league, so you have to face the challenge.”
Meier said he had a brief chat with teammates Erik Karlsson talk about how to handle the situation. The 32-year-old defenseman, who leads the Sharks with 70 points (17 goals, 53 assists) in 53 games, said last week that he heard his own name in the latest rumors ahead of the March 3 NHL trade deadline.
[Ähnliches: Meier avanciert zum Matchwinner der Sharks]
“A little,” Meier said. “I talked to my teammates and they helped me in whatever way they could. But like I said, I don’t like bringing it up to them. I’m trying to deal with it myself, being a professional and understanding that I can I owe it to my teammates to go out there every day and do my best.”
Meanwhile, his childhood friends keep him updated on the gossip about the trade.
“It’s exciting for my friends at home. I think they’re a little more excited about these rumors than I am,” Meier said, laughing. “I’m not trying to read too much into it. You’re obviously excited to see what’s going to happen, but you’re trying not to get too involved.”
“There are conversations that you have to have about it, but other than that you just focus on the next training session and the next game.”