NHL Trade Buzz: Meier suitors narrowed down by Sharks

Welcome to the NHL Trade Buzz. There are five days remaining until the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline (3 p.m. ET, Friday). Here's a look around the League at the latest deadline doings.

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RELATED: [NHL Trade Tracker]

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San Jose Sharks

The field of suitors for Timo Meier has been whittled down to the New Jersey Devils and Vegas Golden Knights, according to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic.
"Still work to be done," LeBrun said on Twitter. "Obviously, a fluid situation, but I think that's where things are at right now."
LeBrun also posted that the Sharks informed the Carolina Hurricanes late on Saturday that they were no longer a candidate to acquire Meier.
Meier, who has missed the past three games with an upper-body injury, is second on the Sharks with 52 points (31 goals, 21 assists) in 57 games this season. The 26-year-old forward can become a restricted free agent after this season.

Minnesota Wild

Defenseman Matt Dumba will likely not be traded before the deadline, general manager Bill Guerin said Sunday.
"Look, if somebody comes through and offers us a boatload for him, we'll think about it," Guerin said. "But as of right now, I actually think Matt's playing his best hockey of the year right now. Probably bet that he's here through the end of the year. I can't make that promise, but he's playing pretty good hockey right now."
Dumba, who is in the final season of a five-year, $30 million contract he signed on July 21, 2018, can become an unrestricted free agent after the season. The 28-year-old has 13 points (four goals, nine assists) in 57 games this season and is third on the Wild in average ice time (21:30).
With the Wild in second place in the Central Division, two points behind the Dallas Stars, Guerin said trading Dumba would create a hole in the lineup they wouldn't be able to fill at this point in the season.
"He's a top-four defenseman," Guerin said. "We don't have anybody in Iowa (American Hockey League) that can replace Matt Dumba. We don't have a rookie that can replace Matt Dumba. Matt Dumba's been in this league for how long, 10 years? You don't just replace those guys with anybody. They're top three defensemen. That's something we don't have that." -- Jessi Pierce

Carolina Hurricanes

What direction the Hurricanes take next after missing out on Meier remains to be seen. There was speculation that Carolina was also interested in Chicago Blackhawks forward Patrick Kane, who can become an unrestricted free agent after this season.
Kane went back to Chicago prior to the Blackhawks' 4-3 shootout win at the Sharks on Saturday, but all signs continue to point to the 34-year-old landing with the New York Rangers. However, the Hurricanes are thought to be looking for a scoring forward after losing Max Pacioretty for the season after he tore his left Achilles tendon for the second time on Jan. 19.
Owner Tom Dundon told the "Daily Faceoff Live with Frank Seravalli" podcast on Wednesday that the Hurricanes were "leaning more on the aggressive side than ever right now."
"I think we've got ourselves in a position, with the amount of assets we have for the future and the age of our team and where we are, that we can probably be a little more aggressive giving up something in the future to increase our odds today without changing the window much, whatever that means," Dundon said.

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Nashville Predators

The Predators signaled they are open for business as sellers before the deadline when they traded 30-year-old forward
Nino Niederreiter
to the Winnipeg Jets on Saturday for a second-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.
"I guess it'd be hard for me to deny that," Predators general manager David Poile told The Tennessean. "We've sold a present for the future."
Poile wasn't ready to say how much more selling the Predators will do. With 26 games remaining, Nashville (28-22-6) trails the Seattle Kraken by eight points for the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Western Conference.
"I absolutely do not want to forecast anything," Poile said. "I think most teams know we're open-minded to listening. I'm not going to make a trade just to make a trade. I'm going to do something that I think takes us in the right direction. I think this is a fair trade for both teams.
"It's a little bit about us, but it's also the other teams we have to climb over to make the playoffs. It's a little bit of a heads-up to our players."
During the "32 Thoughts" segment on Sportsnet that aired Saturday, Jeff Marek said defenseman Roman Josi, goalie Juuse Saros and forward Filip Forsberg are "untouchables," but Nashville is willing to listen on its other players, mentioning defenseman Dante Fabbro and forward Tanner Jeannot among those who are drawing interest. Jeannot was then scratched in the Predators game against the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday for "trade-related reasons."