Quoting: Tintin
I actually think the Meier trade was an overpay, at least at the time of the trade.
Was assuming (and still kinda am) that the conditions on the 2024 pick will hit combined with Zetterlund playing out of his mind at that time, and Mukhammadulin and Okhotiuk both taking some serious strides towards becoming NHLers leads me to think that Grier did quite a good job in the return he got for a 26 year old winger with a 10m QO.
It's a quantity type of deal and the assets being dealt from the Devils are ones that they had in excess, particularly LHD prospects, but I wouldn't be surprised to see Grier walking away with 4 bonafide NHLers here, two of which could be playing regularly in their top 4 or top 6.
The items were good, but none of them were any part of the real top 4 prospects for the Devils, for the premium player that other teams were willing to trade for. Fitz not trading Holtz, Casey, Luke Hughes, Nemec, or even some Sharks fans talked themselves into thinking Mercer would go in the deal.
Zetterlund is a bottom six forward. He was nice, but very replaceable. Muk still is a complete unknown of how he will be at the NHL level, and the 1st was going to be late, meanwhile the Devils got a 26yr old forward that wanted to be here. It has slight risk if he would agree to a deal, but Fitz has to know more than we can. We also dumped AJ in the deal, and the 2024 1st only happens if we reach the ECF, which is something every Devils fan should be willing to give up for a top line forward.
Compare that to Hellebuyck...how many teams can even be in on him that fit a venn diagram where they have assets and cap room to move for him, the need for him, and he's even willing to extend with? There were far more teams able to trade for Meier than there was for Hellebuyck right now. A 26yr old power forward with 40gs vs a 31yr old goalie with a ton of miles? I'm not saying Hellebuyck is bad, he's one of the best goalies in the league, but his value will not be increasing throughout his contract.
Casey would be better than any of the prospects we traded for Meier, similar picks, and I wouldn't even say VV has negative value like AJ did to say he's a toxic asset. I am more than happy to run with the goalies we have than mortgage the future for an aging goalie.
And the notes of "The Devils are interested..." yea...I've heard that about Josh Anderson too in the past...how's that going?