Timo Meier is about to hit a major number in a Devils sweater. When New Jersey takes on the New York Islanders tonight, Oct. 3, Meier will be playing in his 700th NHL game.
The milestone comes after a move that reshaped both his career and New Jersey’s forward group. The Devils landed Meier from the San Jose Sharks in February 2023 in a blockbuster deal that also sent Scott Harrington, Santeri Hatakka, Timur Ibragimov, Zachary Emond, and a fifth-round 2024 Draft pick to New Jersey. Four months later, the team locked him up on an eight-year, $70.4 million extension with an $8.8 million cap hit.
Meier has delivered the kind of offensive punch the Devils expected when they brought him in. He has scored at least 20 goals in each of the last five seasons, and his peak came in 2022-23 when he buried 40. Since 2023-24, he has ranked fourth on the club in scoring while continuing to matter on the power play.
His game still looks built to wear opponents down. Meier is a heavy shooter and a true power forward, the type who can create offense just by getting inside and staying on pucks.
He uses his size and strength to win battles and generate second chances for linemates. Last season, NHL Edge data had him near the top of the league in hardest shot at 94.3 miles per hour and shots on goal with 269.
The point totals have dipped lately, but Meier enters 2026-27 positioned for a big role again. He had a strong preseason, putting up one goal, one assist, nine shot attempts, five shots on goal, and four high-danger scoring opportunities in two games.
He has also found immediate chemistry in the Devils’ top six next to Nico Hischier and Luke Evangelista. That trio has clicked quickly, and it would not be a surprise if the Meier-Hischier-Evangelista line becomes a steady source of offense this season.
Meier will be looking for his first point of the year in New Jersey’s second game of 2026-27, as the Devils try to stretch their winning streak to two.
In Other News...
Nico Daws Just Revived The Devils Fear Fans Had All Summer
The Devils long summer of sorting out the crease has already hit an early nerve, and Nico Daws rough night against the Islanders did nothing to calm it. New Jersey dropped a 6-0 decision in a meeting that extended its losing streak against the Islanders to six straight, and Daws was on the wrong end of it, allowing six goals on 32 shots in a game that put the spotlight right back on the teams goaltending depth.
With Jacob Markstrom gone, the Devils were always going to be judged by how stable the position looked behind Jake Allen, and this was the kind of outing that makes every alternative look a little less certain. Remi Poirier and David Rittich are in the organization, but Daws was the one under the microscope here, and a start like this is the sort of thing that can quickly turn a quiet concern into a very loud one. [Read more 🡒]
Anthony Mantha Suddenly Has A Big Chance In New Jersey
Anthony Manthas first regular-season look alongside Jack Hughes and Jesper Bratt came in the Devils 3-2 overtime win over the Flyers, and it gave a quick glimpse of why New Jersey wanted to see more. Sheldon Keefe singled out Manthas positioning and his role in a key goal, while the winger talked about the need to play a smart, straightforward game next to two linemates whose pace can force defenses into uncomfortable decisions.
For Mantha, the opportunity is arriving at a time when life is also starting to settle off the ice. He and his family have found a new home in New Jersey, and their children are starting school, making the transition feel more complete as he tries to carve out a bigger role. The fit with Hughes and Bratt is still early, but it already feels like one of those lineup combinations that could tell the Devils a lot about what Mantha can add over the long haul. [Read more 🡒]
Devils Showed Exactly Why Fans Should Believe In This Start
The Devils opened their 2026-27 season at home by doing what good teams usually do in October: controlling play, creating chances and finding a way to bank the points. New Jersey out-attempted Philadelphia by a wide margin and spent long stretches with the puck in the Flyers end, with Dougie Hamilton, Luke Hughes and Jack Hughes all getting on the board in a 3-2 overtime win that gave the building plenty to feel good about right away.
There were still a few early-season loose edges, most notably a power play that went 0-for-4, but the bigger takeaway was how firmly the Devils dictated the game at even strength. Jack Hughes ending it in overtime only added to the sense that this start is built on more than a hot bounce or two, and it gave fans a reminder that the teams top-end talent can still take over when the night gets tight. [Read more 🡒]