Devils Clean-Out Day Takeaways: Meier, Holtz & More

Timo Meier dealt with double MCL injuries, Alex Holtz wants to work on his 200-foot game, and more from New Jersey Devils clean out day

---

Follow us on Twitter: @AlexC_NJD, @NJD_OnTheRush

---

Locker clean-out day came earlier than any of us wanted. Players spoke yesterday, with general manager Tom Fitzgerald and interim coach Travis Green speaking today. We'll cover those tomorrow, but for today, let's recap some notable items from what the players had to say. 

Meier Had Double MCL Injuries

Most of us could tell Timo Meier was not healthy earlier in the season, but he confirmed as much yesterday. He told reporters he was dealing with double MCL injuries, which kept him out of the lineup earlier in the season. 

It's not surprising that Meier was dealing with some kind of knee injury, but the extent of it wasn't clear. Two MCL injuries for someone who relies on their skating to create offense off the rush and in transition will slow them down, and it did for Meier. 

It wasn't until after the All-Star Break that Meier started looking like himself again. He finished with 19 goals and 34 points in 35 games after the break, a 44-goal, 80-point pace over 82 games. His skating was also noticeably better after the break, as he was creating offense off the rush like we're used to from him. 

Not only did Meier's skating improve over the last third of the season, but he was also much more physical. This came with Meier fighting through an oblique injury toward the end of the season, though you wouldn't have known it by the way he was playing. 

Like many Devils, Meier had a tough year injury-wise. But he showed over the final eight weeks or so of the season that he will be just fine moving forward. We'll go more in-depth on his season in the coming weeks, but a healthy Meier out of the gate should help the Devils get off to a better start in 2024-25. 

Luke Hughes & Nemec Heading to the World Championships

Luke Hughes and Šimon Nemec had to play much more than the Devils imagined or probably hoped this season, but they handled the minutes as well as they could have. That should benefit the team in the long run, but the two defenders still have some hockey left to play this season.