Timo Meier cannot fully exploit his talent this season and he knows that better than anyone else. However, the New Jersey Devils are showing some signs of impatience with their attacker.
With an average salary of $8.8 million through 2031, the 27-year-old Swiss is the team's highest-paid forward, although he hasn't quite made it profitable yet.
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Meier has 12 points, including six goals, in 24 games and a -17 rating. The Nine Devils' forwards are better than him offensively and the key player only scored one point in 10 games in December.
“I'm hard on myself. I have high expectations. We have high expectations as a team. I'm not happy with my game, but I have to learn from it. Sometimes these situations can improve you as a player and make you stronger,” the former San Jose Sharks told NHL.com.
Furthermore, despite obvious difficulties, this transaction seems to be good for the Californian team so far. Defenseman Nikita Okhotyuk and forward Fabian Zetterlund are starting to come into their own with the Sharks and young player Quentin Musty, who was selected thanks to the Devils' pick in the first round of the last draft, is promising.
A wound that remains
Head coach Lindy Ruff has insisted he will not play Meier if he appears to be suffering from injury. However, he left him on the bench for a while in October.
The young veteran appears unable to find his rhythm and missed seven games in November with a lower-body complaint.
“It's a long season. There are times when you have bumps and bruises. But that's never an excuse. I feel ready to play,” the right winger said, according to the website NJ.com.
“When things aren't going well, you have to go back to basics. “I have to concentrate on defensive play, aggressiveness and getting into the game quickly,” added Meier. Maybe it will be a check, a blocked shot. Maybe this will boost my confidence and lead to offensive production.”
The Devils are in sixth place in the Metropolitan Division while most experts have them at the top. The New Jersey team needs a wake-up call from Meier, who set a career high with 40 goals last season.