Timo Meier should be a staple on the top power play in 2024-25

He was ultra-efficient on the No. 1 unit when finally given a chance.

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One of the more puzzling aspects of the New Jersey Devils’ 2023-24 campaign was the usage of Timo Meier; particularly when it came to the power play.

Although he dealt with injuries along the way, he was a complete afterthought on the man advantage for the majority of the season.

It was a true head-scratcher considering he’s one of the best chance generators in the NHL and was coming off a 40-goal campaign. You would think he’d be one of the first names pencilled in on PP1. Apparently not.

From the day Dougie Hamilton suffered a season-ending injury until the day Lindy Ruff was fired, the Devils averaged just 4.93 goals per 60 minutes on the power play. That ranked them dead last in the NHL.

Yes, even below the Sharks, Ducks, and Blackhawks, who were forced to live without their only truly dangerous forward (Connor Bedard) for a chunk of that time. Inexcusable.

Despite the Devils’ inability to score goals on the man advantage, Meier was not given an opportunity on the top unit until March.

Sure, you could cite on-and-off injury concerns as the reason behind the decision. That still doesn’t make it a good one.