The New Jersey Devils, despite all their talents, were atrocious offensively for much of the 2025-26 season, and that is ultimately what sank their playoff hopes in the end.
Of course, we all know about the restaurant accident that sidelined Jack Hughes and his not being 100% for several weeks after returning early, but Hughes isn't the only Devils forward with that kind of talent.
For instance, Timo Meier scored 76 points in 77 games with the San Jose Sharks in 2021-22, and then followed that effort up with his first 40-goal season in 2022-23 with the Sharks and Devils.
For the buccaneering Swiss winger, it hasn't all come together in New Jersey quite yet, and this past season may very well be the nadir of his NHL career thus far.
Meier, 29, scored 24 goals, 20 assists, and 44 points in 77 games for the Devils, briefly missing time to tend to a personal matter away from the ice.
On the whole, those totals aren't bad for the average NHL player, but Meier is a former 40-goal-scorer carrying a whopping $8.8 million cap hit. A post-Olympic surge helped his season look more respectable in hindsight, but he can't hide from the analytics.
Highest and Lowest Goals Scored Above Expected per 82 Games
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) April 17, 2026
(Minimum 65 GP)https://t.co/Hi4pNtUfUY pic.twitter.com/Iyf2Z7mZsT
According to JFresh Hockey's analytics model, Meier graded out as the second-worst finisher in the NHL, closing out the season scoring 9.95 fewer goals than expected. The model believes that Meier should have scored 35.51 goals this season, which is much more in line with his talents and role.
Only Detroit's Andrew Copp, who finished with 10.63 fewer goals than expected on nine goals in 79 games, was worse.
If the Devils are going to turn this thing around and become a playoff team once again, it will take Meier playing a full-82 game season and scoring at a more consistent rate, rather than playing his best hockey with a quarter of the season left.
Time will tell if new Devils GM Sunny Mehta, an analytics maven, will offer him the chance to reverse the narrative.
Add us as a preferred source on Google