Good news: New Jersey Devils’ Timo Meier to return to lineup vs. Canadiens
Winger Timo Meier will be back in the lineup for the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday against the Montreal Canadiens, according to head coach Lindy Ruff.
Some updates on Lindy Ruff’s injuries for the Devils:
Timo Meier is expected to start tonight against Montreal; Jack Hughes remains sidelined; Brendan Smith is suffering from a sprained knee.
— @Peter Baugh, on Twitter January 17, 2024
Meier, 27, hasn’t participated in a game in 2024 after missing the previous six because of a mid-body injury that was probably related to his abdomen. The Devils won 3-2-1 while he was away.
For Wednesday’s game against the Canadiens, Meier is currently expected to play alongside Michael McLeod and Dawson Mercer. This combination, which is the second most common one involving Meier, has maintained the goals even at four apiece and has a 43.52% expected goal share in 58:54 of ice time together.
Meier has not performed well this season; in 28 games, he has only 9 goals and 6 assists for 15 points. Since joining the Devils at the trade deadline in 2018, it has been a problem for him. In 49 games during the regular season, he has only scored 18 goals and 29 points, and in 11 playoff games, he has scored 2 goals and 4 points.
Regarding defenseman Brendan Smith’s injury from Monday’s game against the Boston Bruins, Ruff also gave an update. In that game, Smith, 34, sprained his knee; however, there was no indication of when he would be able to return.
With one goal and four assists for five points in 34 games this season, Smith has had one of his more productive seasons by his own standards. In an 82-game season, his 12-point pace would be the most points he’s had since the 2018–19 campaign.
Ruff also provided a little more information about Jack Hughes, saying that the star center is still dealing with an upper-body injury on a week-to-week basis and is not likely to make a comeback. Due to the injury, Hughes has missed the last four games; the Devils have gone 1-2-1 without him.
When healthy, Hughes has had yet another fantastic season, tallying 45 points in 32 games with 15 goals and 30 assists. He would easily eclipse his career high of 99 points scored in the regular season if he played all 82 games.
The Devils host the Canadiens on Wednesday at 7 p.m. EST in an attempt to snap a run of three straight losses. With a 22-16-3 record, they are currently two points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the final wild card spot in the Eastern Conference and seventh in the Metropolitan Division.
