With the three top defensemen all off of the board by the time they chose, the Sharks elected to bulk up on the right wing by choosing the 18-year-old Swiss native. San Jose is relatively thin on the right side, with just Mike Brown and Ben Smith listed as their only skaters at that position.
Meier brings scoring talent that skilled clubs need to be successful; he earned 90 points in 61 games last season with the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League.
Picking Meier seemed a little strange for the Bay Area franchise, since Mikko Rantanen appeared to be quiet high on their wish list.
[RELATED: The Next Ones – Timo Meier]
San Jose has just one more pick in the top 100, selecting at number 39 in the second round. After that, they choose at 106, 130, 142, 160, 190, an 210. Perhaps they will look to trade up to gain another selection before the start of the fourth round.
Make sure to keep an eye on THW’s NHL Live Draft Tracker and Deal Tracker for up to the minute info on the Draft, trades and signings going down.