The New Jersey Devils continue to bolster their roster this offseason, this time adding a top 6 winger to their team, Tomas Tatar. Tatar was a top 6 sniper that the Devils desperately needed and the Devils got him on a great contract for two years at $9 Million, $4.5M AAV. Tatar was the best free agent available in the market and will make a significant impact on the Devils roster next to Jack Hughes.
The New Jersey Devils were one of the most aggressive teams in the offseason, completely upgrading their defense and goaltending. Now with a steady back end, the Devils looked to upgrade their forward core. General Tom Fitzgerald emphasized the Devils’ need for a top 6 winger next to Jack Hughes since last season, the Devils finished 25th in the league in goals. Goal scoring was a major need for the Devils and Fitzgerald filled that need with Tomas Tatar. Tatar is one of the most consistent goal scorers in the league, having 20 or more goals in six of the last seven seasons.
Tatar has had a significant amount of success in the NHL so far, with 176 goals and 377 points in 625 games throughout his career. The 30-year-old spent his first seven seasons on the Detroit Red Wings before being shipped to the Vegas Golden Knights at the 2018 NHL Trade Deadline. After his lackluster stint in Vegas, Tatar headed to the Montreal Canadiens where he would explode for 61 points in 68 games during the 2019-2020 season. This season Tatar was solid with 30 points in 50 games but his poor playoff performance led to his departure from Montreal. Now Tatar will head to the up-and-coming New Jersey Devils team to start a new journey in his career.
Projected Devils Lineup
Tomas Tatar – Jack Hughes – Yegor Sharangovich
Pavel Zacha – Nico Hischier – Jesper Bratt
Nolan Foote – Janne Kuokkanen – Jesper Boqvist
Miles Wood – Michael McLeod – Andreas Johnsson
Ryan Graves – Dougie Hamilton
Ty Smith – Damon Severson
Jonas Siegenthaler – P.K Subban
MacKenzie Blackwood
Jonathan Bernier
Overall, the Tatar signing makes perfect sense for both sides. The Devils sign a top 6 goal-scoring winger that they desperately needed while Tatar gets a fresh start with big minutes on his new team.Â
Signing grade: A