Just when the New Jersey Devils thought they had squashed the injury bug, he bit again. Amid the Devils’ 5-2 loss to the Boston Bruins, forward Timo Meier suffered another injury in the second period.
The Devils’ highest-paid forward did not return in the third period on Saturday night. Following the loss, head coach Lindy Ruff didn’t have an update on Meier’s status.
“He’s still being evaluated,” Ruff explained. “Obviously, he missed the rest of the period. We’ll see where he’s at when we get back to New Jersey.”
The Devils will hold an option skate on New Years Day. The expectation is that there will be a limited amount of skaters on the ice. Fortunately for New Jersey, Meier will have a little bit of extra time to recover. The Devils don’t have another game until Wednesday when they head to Washington to face the Capitals.
If Meier doesn’t get the green light by Wednesday, Curtis Lazar is a candidate to return to the lineup. Lazar suffered a lower-body injury before the holiday break and missed the last three games. By Wednesday, Lazar will be out of game action for 10 straight days, potentially enough time for the forward to return who has been said to be close anyway.
If Lazar isn’t an option, Brendan Smith can return to forward and Colin Miller can re-enter the lineup.
If Meier misses any time, it’ll be his second injury stint this season. Meier already missed seven games this season after suffering an injury back on Nov. 14th against the Winnipeg Jets. He returned on Dec. 1st and scored four goals in 14 games since. In 28 games this season, the Devils’ highest-paid forward has scored nine goals and 15 points.
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