A week after learning he’d officially be joining the team, New Jersey Devils fans should finally get to see Timo Meier in action today when the team takes on the Arizona Coyotes. Head coach Lindy Ruff told reporters today, including NJ.com’s Ryan Novozinsky, that “as long as he’s feeling good, [Meier] should be ready to go.”
Meier had been day-to-day with an upper-body injury at the time of the trade and had not played since February 18. According to Devils senior producer Sam Kasan’s report of the team’s line rushes during yesterday’s practice, Meier is expected to line up at left wing alongside Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, forming a potentially terrorizing two-way scoring unit.
More notes from the Metro Division this morning:
- Novozinsky also reported this morning that it may be a few games before New Jersey sees their other trade deadline acquisition in a Devils uniform. Curtis Lazar, acquired from the Vancouver Canucks on deadline day, is dealing with work visa issues, and it could be as long as a week until he’s able to join the team. The 28-year-old Lazar is expected to contest with Jesper Boqvist, Michael McLeod, and Miles Wood for ice time in New Jersey’s bottom six.
- While many Philadelphia Flyers fans criticized general manager Chuck Fletcher’s lack of significant activity at the trade deadline, head coach John Tortorella stepped to his defense yesterday. Tortorella told reporters, including Olivia Reiner of The Philadelphia Inquirer, that Fletcher tried to gain assets for expiring contracts. Offers were presented for many of the Flyers’ pending UFAs, including James van Riemsdyk and Justin Braun, but Fletcher opted not to move them for a lower asking price than desired.
Please You take what you get . Those picks can used to packaged later with other assets.. Maybe if you top scouts like say tampa bay. They find guys in four or fifth rounds. This will be Fletcher last G.M job unless amazing at interviews.
Yeah Torts, that’s gonna sit GREAT with the Philly fans. Especially those who won’t be watching the rest of the way and therefore won’t care about seeing Justin Freakin’ Braun over having an extra, say, 6th rounder.
The odds of a 6th or 7th rounder making the roster is VERY LOW. The only way you do that is to get something than just a waiver wire claim where you get nothing. Also in the case of JvR it was more to do with his cap hit.
Tortorella acting like a GM for the Flyers recently. Any chance he’d like to have Fletcher’s job?
He couldn’t do any worse. At least the players would be held accountable and if not would be out of town for sure!!!
TIMO TIME TONIGHT!
And Timo did not disappoint!