The Sharks still have a lot of work to do this offseason and not a lot of cap space to work with. But believe it or not, things could actually be much more difficult if it wasn't for Timo Meier.
San Jose signed the 22-year-old to a four-year, $24 million deal at the opening of free agency that will keep him in teal for the foreseeable future. Not only did the deal get done quickly, but the price tag actually helps out the cap-strapped Sharks.
Sure, getting $6 million a year doesn't seem like much of a bargain, especially when you consider Meier now is the third-highest paid forward on the team behind Logan Couture ($8 million) and Evander Kane ($7 million).