The New Jersey Devils have found themselves in unfamiliar territory at this year's trade deadline, clearly jumping into the market as buyers and landing one of the top names available.
Last week, the Devils acquired wing Timo Meier from the San Jose Sharks, a move sure to be of interest at NJ sports betting sites.
New Jersey’s Surprising Rise in 2022-23
New Jersey has had a great season on the ice, sitting third overall in the league in points going into Wednesday night’s games.
But despite their great spot, to compete in the playoffs the Devils clearly prioritized adding some size up front and improving their power play. Those are two areas that Meier will upgrade for them.
Meier is slated to make his Devils debut on Wednesday night against the reigning Stanley Cup champion Colorado Avalanche in Denver. The Devils were a slight underdog for that game at -105 moneyline odds with DraftKings NJ Sportsbook as of Wednesday afternoon, with the Avs listed as a -115 favorite.
New Jersey Devils Stanley Cup Odds
New Jersey entered the season as a team on the rise, but certainly not one expected to compete for the Stanley Cup, with odds of +5000 before the puck dropped in October. Now, after the move for Meier they have odds of +1200 at BetMGM Sportsbook New Jersey as of Wednesday afternoon. That was behind only five teams, including league leader and betting favorite Boston (+475) and tied with the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Meier doesn’t fit the usual mold of a trade deadline rental player, as he is only 26 and becomes a restricted free agent after this year, meaning he is still under Devils’ control beyond this season. This allows him to help New Jersey not just this season but in the coming years as well, assuming they can come to an agreement on a long-term contract.
Meier, at 6 feet 1 and 220 pounds, brings size to New Jersey’s forward group. He scored 13 power-play goals this season for a poor San Jose Sharks club. This single-handedly checks off two of the main boxes New Jersey management was aiming to fill and makes the Devils contenders to watch for those using online NJ casino apps to wager.
Devils Power Play Needed Boost
The Devils power play ranks 18th in the league at 20.5%, a respectable number but one they will want to improve if they wish to advance in the playoffs. If the regular season ended today, New Jersey would face the rival New York Rangers (+1000 to win the Stanley Cup at Caesars Sportsbook New Jersey) in the first round of the playoffs.
Meier will play on one of the top two lines with either captain Nico Hischier or superstar Jack Hughes, giving him ample opportunity to build on the 31 goals he has already scored this year. Hischier and Hughes are both listed at 175 pounds, so the Devils will hope that the bigger Meier will open some room on the ice for those two budding stars. If Meier plays with Hischier they should have some early chemistry, as the two of them grew up in the Swiss hockey system and are two of only a handful of Swiss players in the league.
First-Round Matchup Against Rangers Likely
With a first-round matchup against the Rangers seeming more and more likely every day, this acquisition was important to make for New Jersey.
The Rangers have added scoring forwards Patrick Kane and Vladimir Tarasenko to their roster recently, with the NHL trade deadline looming at 3 p.m. Friday.
Meier could help tilt the scales back in the direction of the Devils not only for a playoff series this year, but for years down the road as well.
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