Buffalo Sabres: Trading for Timo Meier would make no sense

I have seen plenty of trade proposals that the Buffalo Sabres could make for Timo Meier, and not a single one has made sense. 

When the New York Islanders traded for Bo Horvat, the Vancouver Canucks got a solid ransom, with a conditional first round pick for 2023, a role player in Anthony Beauvllier, and a solid up and comer in Aatu Raty. Now that the Canucks got their compensation for Horvat, it gives you an idea of what the Buffalo Sabres would need to give up for Timo Meier.

Below is one of many examples of what such a trade would entail. And as you can see, it’s similar to what we saw regarding the Horvat trade.

Clearly, you can see why a trade like this would make absolutely zero sense for the Sabres to pursue. And it doesn’t matter if you put another prospect in there for Ostlund, and another current player on the roster for Olofsson.

For one, it goes entirely against general manager Kevyn Adams’ is trying to do here. Meier is an impending restricted free agent (RFA) and he will command a hefty payday that could have gone to Rasmus Dahlin or Dylan Cozens.

The Sabres need to take care of their own players who are part of a group that just happens to be in playoff contention and one Adams is setting up for long-term success. So why would he even remotely think of throwing a wrench into that plan for who is going to be an expensive player?

Trading for Meier would make no sense for the Buffalo Sabres

The Sharks are going to demand a high-end prospect, and that would entail someone like Noah Ostlund or a player at an equivalent caliber. I’ve seen Ostlund in most mock proposals, so I threw his name in there, but you can insert any high-end prospect of the Sharks ultimate choosing.

That alone would shrink the prospects pool, and so would giving up a first round pick that an under construction team like the Blue and Gold can still use.

Hey, if the Sabres were hovering between second and third in the conference and had a few more players signed to long-term deals, I’d have no problem giving up someone like Ostlund plus a 2023 first round pick.

But the truth is, Buffalo is on the outside looking in. They’re not yet an upper-echelon team, and with the plan Adams has in place, trading for Meier probably won’t put them over the top.

So why trade for a guy who will likely give you over a $10 million cap  hit for the next six to eight seasons following April 2023? Once again, when you’re a team going through a building year, even if you’re in playoff contention, it makes zero sense and it throws a dagger into your plan.

Finally, Victor Olofsson is currently one of the Sabres best goal scorers. You know what you can get out of him in this system, but you don’t know how Meier will perform if you threw him into the lineup for less than half a season. It’s a sink or swim scenario, and at this stage, the risks outweigh the benefits. So if you believe Buffalo will trade for Meier, keep dreaming, because it ain’t happening.

(Data provided by Hockey-Reference)

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