One of the top offensive weapons in the Garden State is nursing a new injury.
According to head coach Lindy Ruff, New Jersey Devils forward Timo Meier is not going to be traveling with the team to Washington, D.C., citing a “medium-body” injury.
The injury stems from last Saturday when Meier left the game against the Boston Bruins, and did not return for the third period.
Ruff also mentioned that “hopefully it shouldn’t be too long,” before Meier returns, saying that the 27-year-old is undergoing further evaluation.
The Swiss-born star already missed six games back in November with an undisclosed injury, which was in the middle of a stretch where the Devils lost four of their seven games.
Meier, who was traded to New Jersey from the San Jose Sharks last February, has provided some needed depth scoring for the young team. After totaling 66 points in 78 games last season, including four more in the team’s run to the second round, the 27-year-old has started 2023-24 with nine goals and six assists in 28 games.
Despite Meier’s offensive prowess, he had been playing mostly on the third line with Michael McLeod and Dawson Mercer. Over the Devils’ last 10 games, only the top line of Jack Hughes, Jesper Bratt and Tyler Toffoli had played together more. Since returning from his previous injury on Dec. 1, Meier went nine games without a point, before scoring four goals in a three-game span, the last coming on Dec. 27 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Meier is in the first year of an eight-year contract, with an AAV of $8.8 million, that he signed with the Devils last June.
New Jersey (19-14-2) ended 2023 on a high note, winning three of their last four games. With a matchup scheduled with the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night, the Devils are sixth in the Metropolitan Division. They are three points back of the Philadelphia Flyers for third, but just one point back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the last Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference.
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