NHL Rumors: Sharks Have Yet To Reach Out To Meier About Contract

The San Jose Sharks remain in a difficult spot as they have an aging core that is paid a ton of money and a number of young players trying to break through. The team traded Brent Burns to the Carolina Hurricanes with three years left on his deal and retained $2.72 million in cap per season. The Sharks also signed Thomas Hertl to an 8-year extension in March, but have possibly their most important piece in Timo Meier becoming a restricted free agent after the 2022-23 season.

The Sharks shouldn't be too pressured considering Meier is a RFA and the team has the signing rights after this season. They would have cause to be concerned if he was an unrestricted free agent. Sheng Peng reported that, "there haven't been extension talks between Timo Meier and the San Jose Sharks yet." There are a few possible reasons as to why the Sharks haven't started contract negotiations with Meier.

This Timo Meier goal is so filthy we had to take a shower after watching it 👀 pic.twitter.com/oeprkRuTy5
— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) May 12, 2019

The 25-year-old is coming off of an excellent season that saw him put up 35 goals and 76 points in 77 games for the Sharks. He led the team in goals, points, and power-play goals while playing a physical style of hockey.

The Sharks could be waiting to see what kind of follow-up season Meier has as we should expect the team to decline even more. Though it would be good for Meier to negotiate a contract after his stellar season, he could get even better in 2022-23. He may also see the direction of the team and not want to sign long-term. If that's the case, the Sharks could have a great trade asset to help them build for the future.