Report: Sharks to re-sign Timo Meier to four-year deal

SAN JOSE — The Sharks are reportedly closing in on a contract extension with restricted free agent forward Timo Meier.

According to Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic, Meier and the Sharks have come to terms on a four-year contract that carries an average annual value of $6 million. The Sharks have yet to announce the deal.

Getting this contract done was a huge priority for the Sharks after they re-signed Erik Karlsson to an eight-year, $92 million deal two weeks ago. Meier, 22, is coming off a 30-goal season, and will likely be a fixture in the Sharks’ top six forward group for years to come.

Meier, the first of a bumper crop of talented restricted free agents to sign contract extensions with their respective teams, will again be an RFA when the contract expires after the 2022-23 season.

Drafted ninth overall by the Sharks in 2015, Meier has 108 points in 193 career NHL regular season games. He was fourth on the Sharks this past season with 66 points, as he settled in on the team’s top line with center Logan Couture. In this year’s playoffs, Meier had five goals and 15 points in 20 games.

Considering the Sharks had just $14.8 million in space under the NHL’s salary cap entering Monday, Meier’s signing also avoids the potential of an offer sheet coming from another team.

Also Monday, the Sharks agreed to a one-year contract with Tim Heed, solidifying the right side of their defense after they traded Justin Braun to the Philadelphia Flyers on June 18.

After the signing of Meier and Heed, the Sharks have 17 players under contract for next season at a salary cap hit of roughly $73.6 million. Joe Thornton is expected to re-sign with the Sharks at some point. Kevin Labanc and Dylan Gambrell, also RFA’s at the moment, are also expected to return to San Jose.

Please check back for updates.