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San Jose Sharks: Examining Timo Meier’s magical breakout season

By Dave Stevenson

SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Timo Meier #28 of the San Jose Sharks stands for a moment of silence before the game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center on November 23, 2018 in San Jose, California (Photo by Brandon Magnus/NHLI via Getty Images)
SAN JOSE, CA - NOVEMBER 23: Timo Meier #28 of the San Jose Sharks stands for a moment of silence before the game against the Vancouver Canucks at SAP Center on November 23, 2018 in San Jose, California (Photo by Brandon Magnus/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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The San Jose Sharks haven’t gotten what they expected from some players this season. Timo Meier’s well-timed breakout season has allowed them to remain one of the NHL’s most productive teams. 

Everybody knew the San Jose Sharks were going to have a magical season in 2018-19. This was confirmed after they traded for two-time Norris Trophy winner Erik Karlsson back in September. Their magic has come from some expected sources – Logan Couture, Joe Pavelski, Brent Burns, and Karlsson. But most of the magic has come for an unexpected source in third-year forward Timo Meier.

Going into this season, the 22-year-old Swiss wing was a bit of a question mark. The Sharks were hopeful he could start showing the production that made him the ninth overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. Meier came into Opening Night with 42 points in 115 games, including 36 points in 81 games in 2017-18.

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Through 32 games this season, he has already matched his assist total from last season with 15. Meier also has 33 points, just three shy of his career-high 36 from last season. He has worked his way up to the Sharks’ top six, spending over 300 five-on-five minutes with Logan Couture.

The most important thing he’s done for his team is carry them at even strength. Meier leads the Sharks with 29 even strength points despite missing three games due to an injury. The Sharks have 89 goals at even strength this season, meaning he has been involved in a shade under one-third of his team’s even strength goals. Meier also has the team lead in even strength points per hour with 3.62.

It’s not likely he’ll continue to produce at this rate. After all, his 16.8 percent individual shooting percentage is a career high and among the league leaders. Nothing Meier has done suggests he’s capable of sustaining such a high rate.

His team is also shooting incredibly well with him on the ice, as the Sharks convert on 13.8 percent of their shots when he’s on the ice. By comparison, Alex Ovechkin, who is arguably already the best goal scorer the NHL has ever seen, has a career shooting percentage of 12.6 percent. However, his unsustainable numbers aside, he’s becoming that skilled forward the Sharks have dreamt he would be.

That said, it’s undeniable that Meier has become one of the Sharks’ most important players. “He’s a critical guy,” head coach Peter DeBoer said, via Mercury News. “You take that type of player out of anyone’s lineup, you’re going to feel the effects. It’s nice to have him back.”

Meier’s having a breakout season at precisely the right time for him. He’s set to become a restricted free agent for the first time after this season. The Sharks could have given him an extension during the summer of 2018, but they understandably had bigger fish to fry (most notably Karlsson). Now they might regret not doing so.

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His emergence is also coming at a great time for the Sharks. The end is near for franchise cornerstone Joe Thornton, who has started taking one-year deals. That’s a good sign he’s about done as a player. Joe Pavelski is on the wrong side of 30 as well, though he’s not letting Father Time catch up to him – yet. The Sharks are going to need Meier to help pry open their Stanley Cup window for a few more years.

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