When the New Jersey Devils acquired forward Timo Meier in 2023, they hoped to land a power forward who could reshape their top six and provide 40 goals a season. At the time, Meier looked like that player, and New Jersey gave up assets to the San Jose Sharks, believing he would become a core member and ride shotgun alongside Jack Hughes and Nico Hischier. In addition to trading away significant assets, the Devils committed financially to Meier long-term with an eight-year contract worth $70.4MM ($8.8MM annually). The results weren’t great to start. Meier had just 14 points in his first 21 games with the Devils and just four points (two goals and two assists) in 11 playoff games. Now, just three years into that contract, Meier has been less of a top-end power forward and more of a streaky depth scorer who struggles with turnovers.
New Jersey has been a major disappointment over the past two seasons. While Meier has been relatively consistent, he hasn’t lived up to the expectations when he was brought in and signed long-term. In the five years prior to the trade, Meier had topped 30 goals three times and had become a 65-75-point player. Since the trade, he’s been a 25-goal scorer and a 50-point player. These numbers, while respectable, aren’t what the Devils were hoping for when they made the moves.
The Devils obviously want to get back to the playoffs with their current roster, but many of their top-paid players have struggled to live up to their price tags. Meier is hardly alone in his struggles, but he just finished fourth in Devils scoring, despite being the highest-paid forward.
Now, you could point to some of the injuries and to the inconsistency hampering Meier’s production, but the cause is likely much deeper and involves both individual and team issues.
For Meier, he simply has not elevated his play since the trade to New Jersey and has not been as physically imposing as he was with the Sharks. Many predicted that Meier would become the Devils’ net-front presence and use his size to score many goals in front of the net, but Meier hasn’t become that player despite playing through his prime over the past few years.
Meier also hasn’t built chemistry with his teammates or settled into his role. Some of that can be blamed on his lack of momentum on his own, but there have also been lineup and coaching changes, along with other external factors that could be keeping Meier from getting comfortable with the Devils.
While Meier’s offensive numbers have been respectable, perhaps the most troubling aspect of his game is on the defensive side, where he lacks attention to detail in his own end and is often guilty of turning the puck over. These warts in his game would be forgivable if Meier were producing more offense, but unfortunately for New Jersey, that has not been the case.
Meier was brought in to help change the Devils’ trajectory, but, unfortunately for New Jersey, it appears the trajectory has gone the other way, which, given the talent on the roster, seems to be a shock to most people. It’s hard to label Meier a disaster, but when compared to the costs to acquire and retain him, there is little doubt that the Devils would love to have both the trade and the contract back as a do-over, and it’s likely a series of moves they wouldn’t repeat.
At this point, it’s unlikely that Meier takes the next steps that the Devils were hoping he would take when they acquired him. And with the failed trade, among other failed moves, New Jersey has brought in a new management group, and it should be interesting to see how they assess the fit with Meier and whether or not they see him as a long-term fixture. There could be an interesting dynamic with a new GM and management team: a possible trade, or they could see him in a different role with the Devils. Back with San Jose, Meier was often a focal point of the Sharks’ offense; however, in New Jersey, that is less often the case, as the Devils have better forward depth and more offensive players than the Sharks did 3-4 years ago.
There is also the possibility that Meier re-captures his offensive game this year after a tumultuous season off the ice last year. Meier took a personal leave of absence mid-season after posting 10 goals and 12 assists in his first 26 games (a 70-point pace). After returning from his leave, Meier tallied eight goals and three assists in 34 games, roughly a 26-point pace over a full season. Curiously, Meier’s shooting percentage dropped from 11.9% in those first 26 games to 5.9% in the 34 games following his return. There are many reasons that could happen (bad luck, for one), but it’s hard to imagine him shooting that poorly over another stretch of play.
With a new management group in place and five years left on his contract, it will take some time before Meier’s fate is ultimately decided. For now, given his contract status, it’s hard to imagine the Devils moving him to another team. But this summer could be one of urgency in New Jersey, with Hischier’s contract entering its final season and a lot of disappointment surrounding the team. What that means for Meier remains to be seen, but if he does become a trade chip, he would be a buy-low candidate who should generate some interest among teams looking for help in their top six.
Meier’s disappointment is all on the GM that got sucked into the flavor of the month club, Now the Devils have to live with it. GMs do this all the, And, Never take any responsibility, They pass it off as, He wasn’t a good fit, Or, There just wasn’t any chemistry. Just once, I love to hear a GM say, I screwed up!
There is a much stronger argument that the devils have been a huge disappointment to Timo Meier. Never used on his strong wing. Never used in his prime PP1 spot. Never given a chance to be used to his potential like he was in SJ. This is 100% on successive coaches and the GM.