New Jersey Devils winger Timo Meier returns to where he was drafted as the Devils visit the San Jose Sharks.
New Jersey Devils (29-25-4) winger Timo Meier returns to where he was drafted as the Devils visit the San Jose Sharks (15-36-5).
Meier was drafted 9th overall in 2015 and played 451 games in San Jose. He scored 154 goals, with an iconic four-goal performance against the Los Angeles Kings and a super goal against the St. Louis Blues in the playoffs.
Yesterday was the first anniversary of the trade one year ago.
"There's not too many left," Meier joked when asked if he kept in touch with former teammates. "I see some friends and just walk around. It feels weird being back for the first time. I spent a lot of time here, and yeah, definitely special. It's going to be weird tonight, but it's an important game for us."
The Devils are also fighting for their playoff lives. They sit seven points behind the Tampa Bay Lightning for the second wild card spot with two games in hand. They are 4-5-1 in their last ten games. They sit five points behind the Philadelphia Flyers for 3rd in the Metropolitan division.
Sharks head coach David Quinn confirmed that Mackenzie Blackwood would start in goal. This will be his first time starting against his former team, as Kaapo Kahkonen played when these teams faced off in New Jersey.
Fabian Zetterlund will take on the team that drafted him for the second time this season.
Sharks projected line combinations:
Duclair-Granlund-Zetterlund
Kunin-Eklund-Zadina
Barabanov-Sturm-Labanc
Bailey-Carpenter-Hoffman
Thrun-Rutta
Ferraro-Emberson
Okhotiuk-Burroughs
Blackwood
Puck drop is at 7:30 p.m. and can be seen on NBC Sports California or the Sharks Audio Network.
Make sure you bookmark THN's San Jose Sharks site for the latest news, exclusive interviews, breakdowns, and so much more.
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The Hockey News