THN.com/free Timo Meier [https://thehockeynews.com/.image/c_fit,h_600,w_600/MTk2NTg2OTIwNTY4OTU2ODk1/usatsi_20229638.jpg] Timo Meier The New Jersey Devils pulled off this season's biggest trade by acquiring Timo Meier in a multi-player deal with the San Jose Sharks. Whether his tenure with the Devils lasts beyond this season could depend on his contract talks and those of new teammate Jesper Bratt. CapFriendly [https://www.capfriendly.com/teams/devils]indicates that Meier, 26, and the 24-year-old Bratt are both slated to become RFAs on July 1 with arbitration rights. They're also each a year away from UFA eligibility. Meier is completing a four-year contract with an average annual value of $6 million, but he's earning $10 million in actual salary this season, which is what it'll cost the Devils to qualify his rights. Bratt, meanwhile, is on a one-year deal worth $5.45 million. In his March 8 column for NorthStar Bets [https://insights.northstarbets.ca/cp/top-10-questions-after-wild-nhl-trade-deadline], TSN's Chris Johnston believes the Devils want to re-sign Meier to a long-term deal, given how much they gave up to acquire him. He doesn't see them qualifying him for one year at $10 million and risking his departure to free agency next summer. Johnston indicated there were some preliminary discussions between the two sides but nothing serious yet. He thinks it'll take an eight-year contract with an annual cap hit of $9 million to keep Meier for the long term. Meanwhile, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman [https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/32-thoughts-wrapping-up-the-nhl-trade-deadline/] reported the Devils are engaged in contract discussions with Bratt. He'll seek a significant raise over his current deal. The Devils have a projected $35.6 million in cap space next season with 11 roster players under contract. New contracts for Meier and Bratt could eat up as much as $18 million of that cap room. That won't leave much to re-sign or replace free agents like Mackenzie Blackwood, Ryan Graves and Yegor Sharangovich.
