New Jersey Devils’ 2025-26 Report Cards: Timo Meier

The New Jersey Devils’ 2025-26 season ended suddenly, as the team missed the postseason with a 42-37-3 record. After a commanding start, the Devils collapsed when they returned from the Olympic break, resulting in their missing the playoffs. They will look to have an intense offseason to add depth, scoring, and strength on the blue line.

Every player on the roster contributed throughout the season, although some had a greater impact. This installment highlights forward Timo Meier, who delivered a strong performance. 

2025-26 Performance

This season marked Meier’s third full season with the Devils. Back in 2022-23, the Devils and the San Jose Sharks made a huge trade, which included Meier. The Devils traded Fabian Zetterlund, Andreas Johnsson, Shakir Mukhamadullin, Nikita Okhotiuk, a conditional 1st-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft, a conditional 2nd-round pick in 2024, and a 7th-round pick in 2024 in exchange for Meier, Timur Ibragimov, Scott Harrington, Santeri Hatakka, Zachary Emond, and a 5th-round pick in the 2024 NHL Draft. Since then, Meier has been a major part of the Devils’ offense. 

Meier played in 77 games this season and recorded 44 points via 24 goals and 20 assists. He scored his first goal in the Devils’ second game of the season. Meier also recorded an assist in this game, making this his first multi-point game of 2025-26, and he would go on to have seven for the season. 

Meier missed five games because he stepped away from the Devils to tend to a family matter. The team was supportive of this decision and gave him all the time he needed to take care of his personal business. The Devils never aired out his personal matter, which is exactly what a class organization does. 

Meier ended the season playing his 698th NHL game. The start of the 2026-27 season will reach a career milestone for him, which is more reason to be excited for the upcoming season. 

Impact With the Devils 

Meier has been a significant part of the Devils’ top six forward group. He often played on the second line, but when Jack Hughes was injured back in November, Meier and Nico Hischier were bumped up to the first line alongside Jesper Bratt. 

Meier’s two-way play style could have used some work this season, after he recorded a minus-16. This was not as bad as his first full season with the Devils, when he recorded a minus-28. However, he was a plus-7 last season, which padded his defensive skills. This season was more about point production than adding to the defense, which is not a bad thing, considering he is an offensive player at the end of the day. 

Future With the Team

After the 2022-23 season, when he was traded to New Jersey, Meier signed an eight-year contract with an average annual value (AAV) of $8.8 million. The 2025-26 season marked the third year of his contract, making him locked in for five more seasons. 

Of course, there’s always the chance that Meier could be traded, but considering the length of his contract, he is a prime member of the Devils’ offensive core. 

Overall Grade 

For the 2025-26 season, Meier receives an overall grade of a B. Despite his lowest points-per-game performance since joining the Devils, he still had a strong performance. He had the fourth-highest point total out of all the players on the roster this season. 

Meier flexed between the first and second line, consistently playing on the left wing. He managed to put up a good number of points, adding to his offensive strength. 

Since Meier is signed to the Devils for five more seasons, he will be a major part of New Jersey’s top six as they look to grow stronger in the 2026-27 season.