All in

And where do you think you're getting the $9,000,000 to pay Meier? Once Huberdeau and Weegars new contracts kick in.

Sharks decline, add a top prospect

Gap between Mangiapane and Konecny is like a 2nd at most. Certainly not a 1st and A- level prospect

Don't have to keep him, could be a rental.

Which of the following players do you think come anywhere close to being as good or valuable as Timo Meier?

Nikita Zadorov @ $3.75M
Blake Coleman @ 4.9M
Tyler Toffoli @ 4.25M
Mikael Backlund $5.35M
Dillon Dube @2.3M
Noah Hanifin $4.95M
Oliver Kylington $2.5M

It would be hard, but there are many places to find the money for Timo Meier, and you'd still come out benefitting.

More importantly, ever single name on that list other than Coleman has their contract expire after next season and will be a pending UFA (expect Dube who will be RFA). Paying a 26 year old star F $9M+ is well worth losing an old, pending UFA who isn't as good.

We don't even know how much the cap will be going up next year, but we know it will be going up a lot in the next couple of seasons.

It makes a lot of sense to add Timo Meier, now and for the long term.