The New Jersey Devils [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/new-jersey-devils] announced right winger Timo Meier is taking a leave of absence from the team due to a family health matter. "The entire organization supports Timo and his family and appreciates everyone respecting their privacy at this time," the Devils said in their announcement [https://www.nhl.com/devils/news/timo-meier-taking-personal-leave-of-absence-blog-12-11-25]. The Devils did not say how long Meier's leave of absence would be, but that is understandable given the reason provided for it. Meier has appeared in 30 games so far this season with the Devils, where he has recorded 11 goals, 12 assists and 23 points. The 29-year-old is undoubtedly an important part of the Devils' roster. The Devils are still without star center Jack Hughes, who's recovering from surgery on his finger. Based on the original timeline of two months, Hughes is expected to return in mid-January. Other injured Devils players include right winger Evgenii Dadonov and defenseman Brett Pesce. The Devils will now need to adjust without Meier. They have had their struggles as of late, losing five straight games in regulation from Nov. 29 to Dec. 6. However, they recently snapped their losing streak by defeating the Ottawa Senators 4-3 [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/ottawa-senators/latest-news/you-be-the-judge-was-drake-batherson-s-goal-kicked-in-should-it-have-been-overturned] on Dec. 9. The Devils acquired Meier from the San Jose Sharks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/san-jose-sharks] during the 2022-23 season. In 200 games over four seasons with the Devils, the power forward has posted 74 goals, 68 assists, 142 points and 355 hits. Overall in his career, Meier has 228 goals and 458 points in 651 games since the Sharks drafted him ninth overall in 2015. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Image [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/09e5783c-b383-4b7c-a422-db351c0210a1.webp] For action-packed issues, access to the entire magazine archive and a free issue, subscribe to The Hockey News at THN.com/free [https://thehockeynews.store/products/print-subscription?_gl=1*1ols0i0*_ga*NDAxOTY4NTMuMTc1NTg5NTA0Mg..*_ga_ZET34ZFCGX*czE3NjQ0MjY3MjUkbzM1OSRnMSR0MTc2NDQyNjcyNSRqNjAkbDAkaDA.]. Get the latest news and trending stories by subscribing to our newsletter here [http://eepurl.com/i7OC4I]. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on THN.com or creating your own post in our community forum.
