I don't think you're getting a first back but 2nd or 3rd would be great. San Jose should seriously consider that. Nemec is a top prospect in the league

The 1st makes this move palatable though I am still against trading away a recent 2OA right side defenseman that is touted as being the best Slovakian defender since Chara. I think it would be a huge mistake to move him even if we are getting Meier and a presumed lottery pick next year.

You can't really use the first trade as a comp because the goal was both Sedins, an almost impossible task, and an unprecedented situation.
To get twin brothers both projected to go in the top 5, was both a hockey and marketing coup and the price of admission was high considering the draft was not viewed as particularly strong.
That was a once in history opportunity and Burke took a huge gamble.

I dont think this works for either team. Devils fans would riot if nemec leaves and sharks fans would riot if we pay to get rid of meier. and if im being completely honest I think Meier and McCabe have completely different values, and meier appears to be entering his prime not close to exiting it.

Looks like a bit of a gamble to me especially with all the players the Devils will have to re-sign/replace next year. I've not looked at their long term outlook in depth but one has to think Bratt is in for a healthy raise? Meier won't be cheap. Severson & Graves. Plus 5 or 6 other RFAs and 3 more UFAs to re-sign or replace.

Is the Sergachev trade not a bit more relevant in this situation? He was a top 3/4 D prospect at the time of the trade (Behind McAvoy, Chabot and Heiskenen), and was moved as a 19 year old, along with a (Edited to be conditional) 2nd round pick (that didn't transfer) for one of the top names on the market at the time.

IMO, this is an equally dangerous comp as a McCabe-Meier, considering:
-McCabe had 190 games played vs. the track record that Meier has put up.
-McCabe's ceiling was always considered to be "solid", vs. Meier's, who was a former 9OA pick.
-Even with regression over the next 3-4 years, Meier's floor over that period is higher than McCabe's ceiling ever was expected to be.

I get it, and I'm absolutely not advocating a Nemec-Meier trade, I just don't think this comp hits the mark.

Edit: I'd even say that a Seth Jones trade is more comparable. Boqvist was, at the time, considered one of the top D-prospects. Columbus moved up in the draft (significantly), and also received another 1st (obviously that didn't turn out well for the Hawks..) and a 2nd.

Not to downplay the time you've put into this post, but the 2nd round pick didn't end up going to Tampa. Condition was that TBL would receive that 2nd if Sergachev didn't play 40 games that year, he did.

Leave me alone.

Kidding, looking back, you are correct and I absolutely appreciate the fix!

I take this 100% of the time. Nemec is great but we have excellent prospect depth, and 2024 Sharks 1st could easily be a top selection.

Sergachev is definitely an interesting one as well, which I never thought of. Thanks!

I would stray away from the Boqvist comp though. *at the time* of that trade I don’t temember Boqvist being as highly touted as a Nemec in this theoretical trade or Sergachev in the previously mentioned (though I was definitely higher on Sergachev than Boqvist, so there’s a bias in there)

Fair, fair, fair! I'm happy that I got a response because I find that comps are a much more efficient way to predict the future, vs. sitting here and putting a bunch of names in a trade and saying "Ya you dumb if you don't agree!".

Boqvist was ranked as the 10th best *already drafted* propsect in 2018, and 4th best behind Dahlin, Heiskanen, and Maple Leafs legend/one of the top 10 Leafs all time in points per game by a D-man, Connor Timmins. Hilariously, that put him a few spots ahead of 2017 4th OA pick Cale Makar. At the time of the trade, I can't imagine the skill that he'd shown would have knocked him down at all, but he definitely had some trouble staying healthy. The most interesting part here, IMO, is that while Jones was certainly a "Big name", most analytics pointed to a number of warts which, in Chicago, have been magnified. This absolutely hasn't been the case with Meier.

In fairness here, I think one of the biggest takeaways of looking back on a few of these "Top prospect" lists, it shows how unlikely most guys are to actually ever hit their ceiling. Prospects are for peasants (and rebuilding teams).