The New Jersey Devils will continue to battle adversity, this time, without their leading goalscorer.
On Thursday, the Devils announced Timo Meier is taking a personal leave to attend to a family health matter.
The Devils’ statement added: “The entire organization supports Timo and his family and appreciates everyone respecting their privacy at this time.”
It’s a tough loss for the Devils who are already minus Jack Hughes, who was among their leading scorers before he became injured.
Through 30 games in the 2025-26 season, Meier’s netted 11 goals (ranked first in New Jersey) and 23 points, skating alongside Nico Hischier and Jesper Bratt or Stefan Noesen at even strength.
It appears Bratt and Noesen will play on Hischier’s line Thursday night.
In a corresponding move, the Devils placed Evgenii Dadonov on injured reserve retroactive to November 24th. They recalled forward Xavier Parent from the American Hockey League, Utica Comets.
Parent is expected to make his NHL debut against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday, projected to skate next to Luke Glendening and Angus Crookshank.
The 24-year-old winger is Utica’s leading scorer in 2025-26, scoring six goals and six assists for 12 points in 20 games.
The Devils signed Parent after a breakout season in 2021-22 in the QMJHL, after scoring 101 points, netting 51 goals and dishing 55 assists.
Since Hughes has gone down with injury, Meier has led the Devils in the offensive zone with six goals and nine points in 13 games.
The Devils have accrued a 5-9-0 record in that span, recently losing five games in a row, four of those losses coming on home ice in their most recent homestand. The recent struggles have plummeted the Devils from the top of the Metropolitan Division, to outside the playoff picture in a tight Eastern Conference race.
