Timo Meier
Timo Meier is a top-six winger who is currently on Nico Hischier's line and on the second power-play unit. Last season's 14 games and 5 points are a small sample, and I found no current coverage explaining them.
Role
Inside the Rink's projected lines for the Oct. 30 game at Vegas, and ESPN's line page (indexed 11 days ago, not fetched), have Meier at left wing on line 1 with Hischier and Luke Evangelista. The same Inside the Rink preview has him on the second power-play unit with Rodrigues, Mantha, Gritsyuk and Hamilton, and on the second penalty-kill unit. Frozen Pool's Oct. 28 game data against Colorado shows him with Hischier and Evangelista at even strength. It also shows him on a power-play group with Mantha, Rodrigues and Gritsyuk, and 1:20 of power-play time for that group in that game. Jack Hughes, Bratt and Evangelista hold the first power-play unit, so Meier's power-play work is secondary. The line-1 unit with Hughes and Bratt is now Gritsyuk's (The Hockey Writers, Nov. 2). I could not fetch Daily Faceoff's line page, so I have no confirmed ice-time figure for this season.
He is on the line with the captain and center Hischier. Preseason coverage from The Hockey Writers called him one of the NHL's premier power forwards. He also gets second-unit power-play time and kills penalties, so he is on the ice in most situations. New Jersey finished October 9-5-0 on strong top-six play, and his line is part of that top six.
The first power-play unit is set without him, so his power-play role depends on the second unit. The Hockey Writers' October recap credits the Gritsyuk, Hughes and Bratt line, not Meier's, for the offensive surge. One source, 5v5 Hockey, listed Meier's line as the second line on Oct. 20. In Frozen Pool's Oct. 28 game data against Colorado, his line was badly outshot (3 shots for, 13 against) and was on for a goal against. That is one game. Last season's total of 5 points in 14 games gives little baseline to lean on.
Where analysts split
I found no analyst argument about Meier in particular. The visible disagreement is whether his line is the first or second forward line. The Oct. 30 Inside the Rink projection and ESPN list it as line 1. 5v5 Hockey, citing Daily Faceoff reporting, listed it as line 2 on Oct. 20. That matters for ice time more than for who his linemates are. I did not find beat-writer commentary on whether he moves up to the first power-play unit.
Research confidence: thin. Outlooks are grounded in web search over current reporting and refreshed through the season.
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