In February 2023, the New Jersey Devils were looking to bolster their roster, poised to make the postseason for the first time since 2017-18. Led by now-established stars Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, the team needed secondary scoring to guarantee their spot in the playoffs and finally make the jump from pretender to contender. They needed a bonafide star, someone who would make a difference. Enter: Timo Meier.
Timo Meier Shifts Dynamic
Nearing the 2023 NHL Trade Deadline, the Devils traded for coveted forward Timo Meier. Nearing a point-per-game pace with the San Jose Sharks that season, he was the perfect forward to place alongside Hughes on the first line. During the second half of the season, he produced 14 points in 21 games. In his first full season with the club, he produced 52 points in 69 games, while scoring almost 30 goals.
The Devils have not seen production like this from a forward since the likes of Ilya Kovalchuk, and Zach Parise, and recently former Devils Kyle Palmieri and Taylor Hall. Consistently finding the scoresheet was what each player brought to the team, despite losing seasons in the past. When those players left, the team struggled to find a forward who could replace the production and physical play that each of them displayed. Meier has revived that role, and stepped into it quite nicely. Bringing in a player like Meier’s caliber has been the missing puzzle piece that the team has needed for years, and have found in Meier.
During his 10-year career, Meier has always been the prototypical power forward. With a knack for scoring goals, he had tallied over 20 in each full season with the Sharks. He strengthened the Devils’ roster and pushed them into the 2023 Playoffs, where they saw success against their rival New York Rangers in the first round before losing to the Carolina Hurricanes in the second.
A Step in the Right Direction
In the 2024-25 season, Meier is poised to hit close to 30 goals for a second time. Last month alone, he had eight points in 12 games, including five goals. In this recent stretch of solid play, he hit a milestone, scoring the 200th goal of his career – the eventual game-winner against the Seattle Kraken in a 3-2 victory on Dec. 6.
“When you grow up in Switzerland and your dream is to play in the NHL,” Meier told The Hockey News. “Time flies by, and the next thing you know, you score 200 goals. You reflect on that and realizing how nice it is to be in this position.”
Meier has found success playing alongside fellow countryman Nico Hischier and Stefan Noesen. They have been the team’s second-best line behind Hughes’ line. Since the game against the Kraken, the trio has put up a combined 12 points in five games.
Maintaining a High Performance Level
As the Devils push on in the new year, Meier looks to continue his scoring success in the second half of the season. If he can keep pace, it would be a huge boost for a team that has lacked secondary scoring behind Hughes and Hischier. By pairing up Meier and Hischier, the team sees two of its most dynamic players work alongside each other and give the team some much-needed depth that they have been looking for all season. With the hopeful scoring increase, the Devils will be poised to remain in the conversation as contenders, and propel themselves as real threats come playoff time. The key for Meier and the Devils is to keep pushing to hold their position at the top of the Metropolitan Division standings. If they keep pace, the sky’s the limit for the club.
