Timo Meier
Goals: 14 Assists: 14 Points: 28
Grade: B
Timo Meier started the season below his lofty expectations, but he's been known as a slow starter for most of his career. Now, he's become one of the Devils who have been delivering during all stretches. He scored six goals in December after scoring three goals in November, showing the turnaround is here. He had the game-winning goal in a 3-2 win over Seattle and a game-tying goal in the third period of what ended up being a losing effort to the Ducks. He also had a busy few weeks, including a bogus game misconduct against the Hurricanes and a ridiculous overturned goal against the Kings that turned that game on its head. If those two referee mistakes don't happen, we could be talking about a two-game losing streak.
Paul Cotter
Goals: 9 Assists: 5 Points: 14
Grade: B-
Two things can be true: Paul Cotter was a stupendous player to start the season, and Cotter's fall-off in play is putting the Devils in an awkward spot. How does one grade a season that was an "A" in the first quarter grades and a C- at best since then? We feel the B- might be nice, but Cotter has been playing better as of late. After a crazy drought, Cotter has two goals during this four-game losing streak. He's the one player on the bottom six who's producing anything. We'll see where he ends up in the lines now that Erik Haula is injured, but this is a player that is hopefully trending back upward.
Justin Dowling
Goals: 2 Assists: 1 Points: 3
Grade: B-
Listen, Justin Dowling isn't going to impress anyone with his offense, but he jumped in when Curtis Lazar got injured, and he played well enough. He scored two goals, and he was only on the ice for six goals against in 214 minutes according to Natural Stat Trick. He had a very specific role on this team, and he played it to the best of his abilities. Dowling is fine, and with Haula's injury, he will likely get another shot with the big club.