Meier has been sidelined for the last seven games with a lower-body injury.

New Jersey Devils head coach Lindy Ruff made it official: Timo Meier will return to the lineup and face his former team.

"(Meier) is playing. He had a heck of a skate this morning," Ruff said. "He felt great and skated yesterday here and was involved in some physicality and then again today. He said he is ready. We are going to play him."

The winger was the San Jose Sharks ninth-overall draft pick in 2015. He appeared in 451 games with the club, tallying 316 points over seven seasons. Meier was traded to the Devils on Feb. 26, 2023, in a multi-player trade that included Fabian Zetterlund, Nikita Okhotiuk, and Shakir Mukhamadullin, among others, going to San Jose. The two former players are expected to be in the lineup tonight, facing their former team for the first time.

Meier sustained a lower-body injury on Nov. 14 in his team's game loss to the Winnipeg Jets. He finished the game, scoring one goal and playing just under 20 minutes.

Meier has 11 points (five goals, six assists) in 14 games this season. Before his injury, he was on a three-game goal streak.

While the Devils are beginning to get injured players back in the lineup, there is still a handful who are sidelined, including Tomas Nosek (upper body), Erik Haula (lower body), Dougie Hamilton (upper body), and Nolan Foote (upper body).

Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 P.M. between the Devils and Sharks at Prudential Center.