Former Devil Fabian Zetterlund Reflects on Trade to San Jose

Former New Jersey Devils forward Fabian Zetterlund remembers the exact moment he was traded across the country to the San Jose Sharks.

It was a Sunday.

Outside, it was a chilling 30 degrees in Jersey City, New Jersey. Inside, things were heating up as rumors began swirling online that the Devils acquired Timo Meier from the Sharks.

Like everyone, Zetterlund saw the rumors but explained on a recent episode of Dropping the Gloves that it was something he did not want to think about.

As the rumors began to be confirmed by the League’s most prominent insiders, Zetterlund recalls receiving text messages from his then-Devils teammates.

“Some guys on the team texted me, ‘hopefully it’s not you,’ and I said I haven’t heard anything yet,” he said

Then Zetterlund received the call.

“I picked it up, and yeah, I was traded, and life changed. I packed all my stuff and went to San Jose,” he said. “I played two days after that, so it went really fast.”

Related: Sharks’ Couture & Blackwood Reflect on Blockbuster Trade That Sent Meier to Devils

Zetterlund was not the only Devils player who moved to San Jose. In order to acquire Meier, New Jersey traded Andreas Johnsson, Shakir Mukhamadullin, and Nikita Okhotiuk, along with a conditional first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft and a second- and seventh-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

In addition to Meier, the Devils received defensemen Scott Harrington and Santeri Hatakka, forward prospect Timur Ibragimov, goalie prospect Zachary Emond, and a fifth-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft.

During his time in New Jersey, Zetterlund struggled to be a top-six forward because of the team’s high-end talent.

“I remember in New Jersey, it was hard to get a top-six spot,” he said. “In San Jose, it was different. More spots were open, and I took advantage of it.”

Took advantage of it, indeed.

In his first full season with the Sharks, Zetterlund was a constant on the top line with William Eklund and Mikael Granlund. He scored 24 goals and finished the 2023-24 season with a career-high 44 points.

This season, Zetterlund will play with several former Devils, including Mackenzie Blackwood, Vitek Vanecek, Tyler Toffoli, and Mukhamadullin.

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