Pending restricted free-agent forward Timo Meier hasn't discussed a contract extension with the San Jose Sharks, his agent, Claude Lemieux, told the Mercury News' Curtis Pashelka.
Lemieux added that he's "very realistic" about Meier possibly getting traded.
Meier's current deal carries a $6-million cap hit, and a team would have to give him a $10-million qualifying offer in the offseason to hold onto his negotiating rights, according to CapFriendly.
His qualifying offer might be hard for cap-strapped contending teams to swing, but the 26-year-old is enjoying a dynamite campaign for the floundering Sharks. Meier leads San Jose with 27 goals - 11 clear of Logan Couture, who has the second most - and ranks second on the team with 47 points in 47 games.
If Meier keeps up his scoring clip, he could shatter his previous career high of 35 goals set last season.
During the most recent edition of the "32 Thoughts" podcast, Elliotte Friedman reported that the Sharks have "indicated a willingness" to allow other teams to talk to Meier's representatives about a cheaper extension than the qualifying offer if they make an appealing trade proposal.
Meier addressed that report Saturday, saying, "I know that teams - if there's a trade - are going to want to talk extension, so I think that this makes sense," per Pashelka.
San Jose drafted Meier with the ninth overall pick in 2015. In a January 2022 game against the Los Angeles Kings, he became the first player in Sharks history to score five goals in a single contest.
The Swiss winger has 150 goals and 311 points in 441 career NHL games.
Meier isn't the only high-profile trade target on the Sharks' roster. Defenseman Erik Karlsson has turned some heads with a Norris Trophy-worthy campaign, but he has four years remaining on his pact with an $11.5-million cap hit.
The trade deadline is set for March 3 at 3 p.m. ET.
