Metropolitan Notes: Meier, Pacioretty, Severson, Wheeler

Currently riding a 7-3-0 record in their last 10 games, the New Jersey Devils continue their climb up the Metropolitan Division standings, after the top of their roster was decimated by injury early in the season, prohibiting the team from gaining any sort of consistency. Now with a relatively healthy roster, the resurgence in play has been led by star players Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt, with one notable forward still failing to gain any sort of offensive traction.

With only five goals and 11 points in 22 games, and a team-worst -17 rating on the year, Timo Meier has simply failed to deliver on his lofty expectations since coming over to New Jersey at last year’s trade deadline. Even dating back to last year, in 43 regular season games for the Devils, Meier has scored 14 goals and 25 points, not yet a year removed from averaging nearly a point per game with the San Jose Sharks.

Speaking with head coach Lindy Ruff this morning, Devils’ reporter Amanda Stein mentioned that Meier still has some lingering issues relating to an undisclosed injury suffered in November, which Ruff claims is impacting his play. Whatever the case may be, although the team is currently playing well, as the highest-paid forward on the roster, it is imperative that Meier can find a return to form to put the Devils over the top in a wide-open Eastern Conference.

Other notes:

• In some positive news coming out of the Washington Capitals organization, even though it is unlikely forwards T.J. Oshie and Sonny Milano will be back before the Christmas break, the Capitals will likely see the season debut of Max Pacioretty shortly thereafter (X Link). In what will serve as a feel-good story for much of the league around the holiday season, Pacioretty has infamously suffered two Achilles tears over the last two calendar years, only playing in five games since the start of the 2022-23 season.
• The Columbus Blue Jackets announced that defenseman Damon Severson has returned to practice this morning. Severson has been out exactly a month today with an oblique injury, having not played since the team’s November 19th game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Still on schedule with a six-week recovery timeline, Severson has been quite a boon for Columbus’ blue line this season, scoring three goals and eight points in 19 games averaging just under 21 minutes a night.
• Signing a performance-laden contract with the New York Rangers after being bought out by the Winnipeg Jets this past offseason, Blake Wheeler is set to earn a $100K bonus after 10, 20, and 30 games played, respectively. Tonight, the Rangers are set to take on the Toronto Maple Leafs, meaning Wheeler will play in his 30th game of the season, earning him his final performance bonus (X Link).