San Jose Sharks

The New Jersey Devils acquired right wing Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks on Sunday, giving the team a boost ahead of the March 3 trade deadline.

Here are the full details of the deal:

Frank Seravalli of the Daily Faceoff reported details on the conditional first-round pick San Jose received in the trade:

Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic initially reported the trade.

LeBrun also reported that a contract extension between Meier and the Devils was not included in the deal, but the organization still felt comfortable in moving forward with the trade.

Meier, 26, has been the topic of trade rumors for several weeks in the lead-up to the NHL trade deadline on March 3. He'll now move to New Jersey and bring another dynamic to an already potent Devils offense.

An All-Star for the first time in 2022, Meier is again in the midst of another solid campaign in his seventh year in the league. Meier is tied for 14th in the NHL with 31 goals, the top scorer for the Sharks this season.

Meiers' 31 goals is already second-best on New Jersey's roster, trailing only Jack Hughes' 36. He also has 52 points this year, ranked just outside the top 50.

San Jose selected Meier with the ninth overall pick in the 2015 draft. He made his debut with the team during the 2016-17 season.

He played the majority of his junior career with the Halifax Mooseheads of the Quebec Major Hockey League, scoring 160 points over three years with the club.

The Devils currently sit in second in the Metropolitan Division with 83 points, just three points behind the leading Carolina Hurricanes. They have the third-most points in the entire Eastern Conference and will hope that Meier is the piece that puts them over the top.

The San Jose Sharks are reportedly close to dealing away veteran forward Timo Meier.

Darren Dreger of TSN reported Sunday, there is a "sense" the right wing will be traded "in the next 24 hours."

According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN, the Sharks are "down to" two teams with the New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights likely being the options.

Meier is San Jose's leading scorer this year with 31 goals, adding 21 assists in 57 games. The team remains far out of playoff contention, however, entering Sunday with just 48 points in 60 games. Only three NHL teams have fewer points this year.

The 26-year-old set career highs with 35 goals and 41 assists last season, but he still wasn't able to get his team into the postseason.

With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, Meier is seemingly ready to get a fresh start with a legitimate contender.

The Devils have the third-best record in the NHL this year with an offense that already ranks sixth in goals scored. Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier are great facilitators, but adding a player currently tied for 14th in goals this year will make the attack even more dangerous.

New Jersey has just one postseason appearance since 2012, but the squad is clearly willing to be aggressive to make a deep run this year.

The Golden Knights would be looking to improve a roster that already sits in first place in the Pacific division. The squad already has 11 players with at least 10 goals this year, but Meier would be the team's leading scorer and a clear focal point of the offense.

A trade also provides an opportunity for Meier to showcase his ability on a brighter stage and potentially earn more money in free agency.

The Sharks have until March 3 to complete a deal, but they might not need that long with the clear interest around the league.

The San Jose Sharks and Edmonton Oilers have reengaged in trade discussions involving defenseman Erik Karlsson, according to TSN's Chris Johnston.

There are "considerable financial hurdles" for both teams to make a deal work, Johnston added. However, this is the second time this season the two sides have explored a trade for the veteran.

Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman initially reported in January that the Oilers and Sharks "had legit conversations" involving Karlsson.

Karlsson is in the midst of a resurgent season following back-to-back disappointing campaigns in San Jose. He ranks first in the NHL among defensemen with 17 goals and 53 assists for 70 points in 53 games.

This is the first time since the 2017-18 campaign, when he was still with the Ottawa Senators, that Karlsson has eclipsed the 60-point mark. The most points he had scored in a season with the Sharks entering this season was the 45 points he tallied during the 2018-19 campaign.

But while Karlsson is producing at an elite level that almost surely will see him capture his third Norris Trophy as the NHL's best defenseman, the Sharks sit seventh in the Pacific Division with a 16-26-11 record.

San Jose's struggles have led to questions about how much longer Karlsson will want to remain in Silicon Valley and compete for a team that has little chance to make the postseason.

The problem is, the 32-year-old has an $11.5 million per year cap hit through the 2026-27 campaign after signing an eight-year, $92 million deal in June 2019. His cap hit, coupled with the no-movement clause on his contract, makes him a difficult asset to be traded.

Still, the opportunity to add a revitalized Karlsson to their blue line would be a game-changer for the Oilers, who lack that kind of elite talent in their defensive unit. Veteran Tyson Barrie leads Edmonton's defensemen with seven goals and 28 assists for 35 points in 53 games.

After reaching the Western Conference Final last season, the Oilers are on the cusp of becoming a true title contender.

Edmonton sits second in the Pacific Division with a 30-18-5 record and are just a few pieces away from being a championship-caliber team. Could Karlsson be one of the pieces to help get the Oilers there?

The Czech Republic has informed the NHL that Russian players will not be granted entry into the country for scheduled games between the Nashville Predators and San Jose Sharks at Prague's O2 Arena.

Deputy Foreign Minister Martin Smolek released a statement Thursday saying the country made the decision based on Russia's continued invasion of Ukraine.

"We can confirm that the Czech Foreign Ministry has sent a letter to the NHL to point out that, at this moment, the Czech Republic or any other state in the (visa free) Schengen zone should not issue visas to the Russian players to enter our territory," Smolek said.

The Predators and Sharks are slated for games Oct. 7 and 8 in Prague. It's unclear if the NHL will move forward with the games, and Smolek would not disclose any reaction from the league.

Nashville forward Yakov Trenin and San Jose forward Evgeny Svechnikov would be barred from the games if they are held as scheduled.

Finland, which is also slated to host NHL games this season, is also in the process of banning all Russian citizens from entering the country. It is yet to be made clear whether that will apply to NHL players.

The Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets are set for two games in Tampere, Finland, on Nov. 4-5.

Foreign governments and sports associations have been increasingly hostile toward Russian immigrants as the country continues to wage war in Ukraine. Russian players were barred from playing in Wimbledon this summer, and several international sports organizations have banned Russians from competition.

There have been more than 14,000 confirmed civilian casualties since February, but the number is believed to be higher.