What do the Sharks want in a trade for Timo Meier?

It sounds like three pieces.

“What I’m hearing is a first-rounder -- and one Grade-A or two Grade-B prospects, or one good prospect and a young, established NHL player,” a source from outside the Sharks organization told San Jose Hockey Now.

That won’t be three easy pieces for a team to give up.

But Meier is an elite winger: Over the last two campaigns, he has rung up 63 goals, 14th in the NHL, and racked up 553 shots, second in the league.

This year, the 26-year-old is on pace for 45 goals, which would top last season’s career-high 35.

Meier also possesses a power game that should translate in the playoffs. In short, the pending RFA is a well-rounded first-line scorer, which is part of the reason why Pierre LeBrun reports that “the ask on a new contract starts with at least a nine.”