Confirmed with Link: Devils sign Tomas Tatar (1 year, $1.8 million)

[Emperoreddy]

https://x.com/i/web/status/1808227314242867583

 

[SJinNewJersey]

I like it, and I also get to post Tatar GIFs again if HF boards will let me.

 

[Whaddagoal]

Dust off those 22-23 highlights and 90 jerseys.

Tatar wanted to stay after previous season, screwed up his FA negotiations, got hosed, fitz comes back this year and says, we still fam.

Getting major positive vibes for this season again.

Nico, bratter, jack, and the boys still got their Uncle Tomas to back them up and they can go on those Mexico trips again all over

 

[CalamityX23]

Omg no

Why did we do this???

 

[Xirik]

Oh Tatar

You are the luckiest, the canniest, and the most reckless man I ever knew.

 

[hidek91]

Not a fan of rounding out top 9 with him, I think that with Markstrom and new defence this team is playoff-bound even without Tatar so I don't see the value of this addition. I think that our forward depth is obviously the biggest weakness now, however this is very hard to fix in UFA, since we can't add lots of expensive contracts, however this is a bit self-inflicted because we prioritized other areas:

a) we didn't draft enough top 9 forwards recently,
b) we committed to Palat and Meier making us top heavy,
c) we gave up Zetterlund for the latter,
d) this will be controversial but we didn't play 'innocent until proven guilty' card with McLeod.
e) we committed resources (high draft picks, UFA contracts) to defense.

 

[Better Call Sal]

The Tatar Bazaar re-opens tonight!

 

[tailfins]

I don't like that Fitz signed this deal on July 2. I'd rather he kept some flexibility. Bring Tatar in on a PTO. Sign him when you feel he's truly the best option. Doing this now feels like a lack of imagination.

But, I definitely get the feels part of this. Given all the changes in personnel, it's nice to have someone back with the team. And how can you not be happy for Tatar - he seems genuinely be excited to come back.

So, I guess the deal is a little like like junk food. It makes me feel good even though I know it's not the right thing.

 

[Billdo]

Ehh there was a time for it. It didn't hurt us at all and we had plenty of space for it. Now that he's not needed, he can go back into the cupboard.

For three years...

Ehh there was a time for it. It didn't hurt us at all and we had plenty of space for it. Now that he's not needed, he can go back into the cupboard.

Yeah, he's like that old Tupperware that you have in the back of the cupboard for years because it's useless until you need something to put grease in or something for a minute.

 

[Mike27Devils]

I don't like that Fitz signed this deal on July 2. I'd rather he kept some flexibility. Bring Tatar in on a PTO. Sign him when you feel he's truly the best option. Doing this now feels like a lack of imagination.

But, I definitely get the feels part of this. Given all the changes in personnel, it's nice to have someone back with the team. And how can you not be happy for Tatar - he seems genuinely be excited to come back.

So, I guess the deal is a little like like junk food. It makes me feel good even though I know it's not the right thing.

There was likely a market for Tartar which is why they signed him now for 1.8 mil.... They needed to sign someone that would take a deal for under 2 mil to afford our RFA's. Again, there was a market so no PTO for Tatar

 

[Guadana]

Not a fan of rounding out top 9 with him, I think that with Markstrom and new defence this team is playoff-bound even without Tatar so I don't see the value of this addition. I think that our forward depth is obviously the biggest weakness now, however this is very hard to fix in UFA, since we can't add lots of expensive contracts, however this is a bit self-inflicted because we prioritized other areas:

a) we didn't draft enough top 9 forwards recently,
b) we committed to Palat and Meier making us top heavy,
c) we gave up Zetterlund for the latter,
d) this will be controversial but we didn't play 'innocent until proven guilty' card with McLeod.
e) we committed resources (high draft picks, UFA contracts) to defense.

We had enough money for top-6 player.

Noesen, McDermid, DeSimone, Tatar deals. You have more than enough.

The problem was drafting forwards, letting boqvist go, sending Zetterlund and Sharangovich in trades. If we would let Holtz go for Meier and saved Zetterlund, may be we would save Yegor too, played nice third line year ago, ib the same time Yegor would score 20 in more limited role.

If we are not playing this "if this and if that" games - the problem is forwards drafting.
With drafting role players Devils didnt hit at any foward in the last 4 drafts. Outside Mercer the best forwards pick was Bardakov- defensive forward from seventh round, who was traded because he isnt ready to travel(most likely) because of his limited offensive potential. Outside Mercer draft for forwards was purely bad.

Holtz was bad pick(in those days people didnt listen to me), thanks God Fitz learned his lesson and we didnt draft Eiserman.
Stillmans pick was very bad - you dont draft role players in the first round. Half of this lesson was learned by Fitz - he traded a couple of times in this draft to make a couple of steps back and draft role players he wanted.
He drafted Salminen - some kind of Holtz type of player - bad skating, lack of effort, goal scoring potential.
He drafted a lot of bodies for roles. A lot. If he would make more "high ceiling" picks, he could hit one of may be even few times. We could have even if not NHL players now, but good trade assets at least. Now our prospect pool looks like Gritsyuk + 10 defensemen and Lenny.

 

[ndkjr70]

Whoa who pissed in your cheerios? I'm more interested in getting to the playoffs first. Also, are we assuming Fitz just chose Tatar over Tarasenko? For all we know the latter wasn't available at terms suitable for the team.


Learned from the best GM we ever had.

You: “I’d rather Tatar than Tarasenko”

Me: “no way that’s dumb”

You: “WHOA WHOA who said tarasenko is even available?”

sick argument let’s do that again soon

 

[My3Sons]

We had enough money for top-6 player.

Noesen, McDermid, DeSimone, Tatar deals. You have more than enough.

The problem was drafting forwards, letting boqvist go, sending Zetterlund and Sharangovich in trades. If we would let Holtz go for Meier and saved Zetterlund, may be we would save Yegor too, played nice third line year ago, ib the same time Yegor would score 20 in more limited role.

If we are not playing this "if this and if that" games - the problem is forwards drafting.
With drafting role players Devils didnt hit at any foward in the last 4 drafts. Outside Mercer the best forwards pick was Bardakov- defensive forward from seventh round, who was traded because he isnt ready to travel(most likely) because of his limited offensive potential. Outside Mercer draft for forwards was purely bad.

Holtz was bad pick(in those days people didnt listen to me), thanks God Fitz learned his lesson and we didnt draft Eiserman.
Stillmans pick was very bad - you dont draft role players in the first round. Half of this lesson was learned by Fitz - he traded a couple of times in this draft to make a couple of steps back and draft role players he wanted.
He drafted Salminen - some kind of Holtz type of player - bad skating, lack of effort, goal scoring potential.
He drafted a lot of bodies for roles. A lot. If he would make more "high ceiling" picks, he could hit one of may be even few times. We could have even if not NHL players now, but good trade assets at least. Now our prospect pool looks like Gritsyuk + 10 defensemen and Lenny.

They've done such a good job drafting all sorts of defenders but they cannot figure out forwards. The weird thing is the group is probably somewhat similar to the Shero group that found Shara, Bratt, Gritsyuk, Zetterlund, Talvitie (he was an NHL player to be before that knee went), and probably one or two others in mid to late rounds.

 

[Saint Beaurivage]

Great move GM, you are redeeming yourself a little. You are still a rookie and not the best but I might buy a ticket plan this year.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

Fitz just rolling through his old contacts list.

 

[Triumph]

I'll take it. Not my favorite move, but the so-called top 6 miracle wasn't here and Tatar's cheap and should be fine. I would've liked someone with some experience playing center and I do think that will be an issue for this team. If they could get a low-cost center in season, great, but that's not generally how NHL teams operate.

 

[devilsblood]

Whatev's. Hopefully he has something left in the tank.

 

[Xirik]

Whatev's. Hopefully he has something left in the tank.

Hopefully Keefe or someone will light a fire under his ass

 

[nugg]

 

[tailfins]

There was likely a market for Tartar which is why they signed him now for 1.8 mil.... They needed to sign someone that would take a deal for under 2 mil to afford our RFA's. Again, there was a market so no PTO for Tatar

I’ll be very happy if Tatar turns in a great season. Odds of that happening are low though - and I’m not sure they’re much better than whoever we could have gotten on a PTO.

 

[Bleedred]

If we could get 30 points out of Tatar that would be excellent. 35 would be pretty awesome.

He paced for 28 last year while averaging under 12.5 minutes a game and playing on two different teams. Here he could play with guys he's played well with and produced with.

As much as I heckled the lamenting over him leaving last year, I think signing him for this is more than fine. And like I said, I would have taken him back last year on that contract he got.

I was worried after 2022-2023 that it would take a two year deal for $3-$4 million per to bring him back.

 

[Guadana]

They've done such a good job drafting all sorts of defenders but they cannot figure out forwards. The weird thing is the group is probably somewhat similar to the Shero group that found Shara, Bratt, Gritsyuk, Zetterlund, Talvitie (he was an NHL player to be before that knee went), and probably one or two others in mid to late rounds.

They changed head scout. Dennehy is now head scout, he started in 2022.
Overall its fun because we drafted Orlov, Barabosha, Silayev, Nemec, Karpovich, Casey and some bodies.

U21 defenders in KHL.

And U21 defenders in AHL.

Casey was good in NCAA too.

Our defensive prospects are doing REALLY well. Orlov and Barabosha achieved much more than a lot of players from different leagues who were drafted before them. Vilen is doing well to as not the first PP option/not the first pair guy.


Even Karpovich

U20 defensemen. Its not a huge league. but still its an adult league on the level with secondary adult euro leagues. And if you will change U20 to U22 or U23 you will see that he is doing really well for such a young D in adult league.

I dont know what is going on with forwards drafting now. Overall I would say they should change direction at all and start to watch how Dallas or Carolina are trying to draft for higher potential.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

NJ needs to have some good development years from the forward prospects. Cupboards are looking a little bare.

 

[HughesCorporation]

hopefully he still has some of his speed from the wing.

 

[Its Always Sundstrom]

NJ needs to have some good development years from the forward prospects. Cupboards are looking a little bare.

A little? It’s like they’ve been on Santa’s naughty list for the last few years.

Wait, that sounded better in my head.