5 New Jersey Devils players who will be MUCH better next season
By Nick Villano
Timo Meier
2023-24 Points: 52
We already talked about Timo Meier and how he was much, much better in the second half of the season. When really looking at everything, Meier actually just had this insane March and the rest of the season was more or less a wash. He had some alright stretches, but there was nothing like March. The Devils gave Meier close to $9 million per season to look like he did in March.
Of course, a few injuries are why Meier looked like he did for most of the season. He was basically plundering on the ice and it was clear it wasn’t the Meier anyone was expecting. He returned from injury on December 1st and didn’t get a point until December 21st. It was a rough stretch for a great player. He also had a few rough stretches across the season.
The Devils found magic with Bratt-Hischier-Meier. The pairing made sense, and it’s strange that Lindy Ruff/Travis Green took so much time to keep that pairing together over the time term. Away from Hischier and Bratt, Meier had a negative Corsi For Percentage and high-danger chance percentage (per Natural Stat Trick).
Meier is going to look like a superstar again. He is steeped in his prime and will be with his best linemates since playing with the Devils. Sheldon Keefe will find the best way to use Meier, and he could have a career year.