The New Jersey Devils concluded their participation in the 2023-24 season with a bitter early elimination. Expectations were high, and the team, in theory, seemed better than the record-breaking one in 2022-23 (52 wins).
One of the most talked-about names this season was Timo Meier, who would play his first full season in Newark. He played his first seven NHL seasons for the San Jose Sharks (451 games), scoring 154 goals and 162 assists for 316 points.
He arrived in New Jersey on Feb. 26, 2023, and the fans were excited about the trade. After the adaptation period, Meier scored nine goals, five assists, and 14 points in 21 games during 2022-23.
He was expected to be an offensive force in the 2023 Playoffs, but in 11 games, Meier had only two goals and two assists, well below what he produced for the Sharks in 2018-19 when he scored five goals and 10 assists in 20 games.
Despite the elimination to the Carolina Hurricanes, the Devils remained hopeful that Meier would have an impressive full season in 2023-24. Was his season a disappointment? Check out all the details of his first full season in New Jersey.
Timo Meier’s Season Start
Meier started the season in an interesting way. Offensively, he scored seven points in eight games during October, which further excited the fans. At that time, the Devils still had the status of a team to beat and a strong candidate to win the Stanley Cup. In November, he participated in six games, with four points in total.
That’s not bad for a player of his caliber. Additionally, in these first two months of the regular season, Meier had an average of three shots on goal per game, which isn’t impressive but shows that he was getting to the goal and creating scoring opportunities.
His presence on the power play was more modest, with only three goals and three assists in October and November. But the real problem came in December when his production plummeted with a disastrous performance. He had only four points in 14 games and was scoreless on the power play.
At this point, alarms were sounded, and the fans began questioning his performance and whether the trade with the Sharks had been worthwhile.
End of Regular Season
Meier’s production was slightly better in January and February than in December, which was disastrous, but the pressure was already on, and he needed to show more on the ice.
The big turnaround came in the final stretch of the regular season, specifically in March and April. Starting from Mar. 2, Meier scored points in five consecutive games, including a very expressive performance against the St. Louis Blues on Mar. 7, when he scored a hat-trick and had an assist (four points).
After that, he went only four games without points. The final report for March was 15 games with 20 points scored. In April, when the Devils’ elimination was practically sealed, Meier remained highly productive and scored six points in the last eight games of the regular season. He was even responsible for scoring the season’s final goal in the final match against the New York Islanders, in the 4-1 defeat.
Positive Outcome for Timo Meier
Analyzing Meier’s entire season, despite the ups and downs and the demand for better results, it’s possible to understand that he might have been experiencing a lack of chemistry or needed more time to adapt to the new team.
Injuries to other attacking partners, such as Nico Hischier and Jack Hughes, affected Meier’s production because hockey is a team game.
Related: Jack Hughes’ 2023-24 Season to End With Shoulder Surgery
Another detail that may have affected his game is the technical strategy, which changed a lot throughout the season, including changes in the head coach’s position towards the end of the regular season.
As a result, new adaptations and a new mentality were required. However, it can be said that the final outcome was positive for Meier despite the team falling well below expectations as a whole.
If the entire Devils roster had suffered fewer injuries, and if the team’s performance had been as expected at the start of the season, Meier would certainly have produced more.
In the end, Meier was the fourth-highest scorer on the team (52 points), behind only Hischier (67 points), Hughes (74 points), and Jesper Bratt (83 points). In terms of goals, he was the top scorer both in 5-on-5 (28) and on the power play (10).
Even though New Jersey is out of the playoffs, there is much hope that the team will be one of the best in the league in the near future, and Meier should be part of that roster.