Another one bites the dust

Timo Meier is the latest Devils star to opt for surgery to get right.

Follow along on Twitter @ToddCordell | @InfernalAccess

Be sure to join the Discord channel to talk hockey with our writers and subscribers.

---

The New Jersey Devils are sitting on the sidelines of the NHL playoffs for the 10th time in 12 years. In a way, it might well be a blessing in disguise.

This year’s Devils team simply didn’t have the juice.

Whether it was a lack of forward depth, an inability to start on time, defensive issues, or anything in between, the Devils had far too many problems.

That’s why they couldn’t sneak into the post-season despite seemingly every Eastern Conference team in the hunt stumbling over themselves down the stretch.

Big picture, that could be a good thing. Don’t get me wrong, making the playoffs is always the goal of any team and another playoff appearance would have provided more valuable experience for plenty of young Devils.

But this team didn’t have a realistic shot of making any noise in the playoffs. The only hope was their stars simply taking over games unlike any other, which is pretty tough to rely on when they’re all injured.

The plug was predictably pulled on Jack Hughes the moment the playoffs were completely out of the picture for the Devils. He needed surgery to get right.

Jesper Bratt decided not to represent his country at the World Hockey Championships due to nagging injuries.

Dougie Hamilton is still trying to make a full recovery from an early-season injury that kept him out for the entire year.

And today we found out that Timo Meier – who also dealt with a lower-body injury earlier in the year – opted for surgery to repair a shoulder injury.

Had the Devils made the dance, a handful of their best players would’ve run the risk of making matters worse for the injuries they were already dealing with.

They also would’ve eaten into some much-needed recovery time. This is a case where making the playoffs could’ve caused more harm than good.

Quite frankly, with the benefit of hindsight, it is impressive some of the Devils were as productive as they ended up being.

Jack Hughes was visibly not right for months on end and he produced at a 98-point pace.

Timo Meier dealt with one injury or another for most of the year – and didn’t get PP1 time until March – yet he still led the Devils in scoring while finding the net at a 33-goal pace.

Bratt’s injury concern wasn’t as evident, or serious, but he set career highs in points while finishing tied with Nathan MacKinnon for 3rd in primary assists at 5v5.

All while playing injured (and having a borderline useless power play).

This cast of characters will have five months to take care of their bodies and get ready for next season. It sure seems like they need it.

---