Confirmed with Link: Devils sign Tomas Tatar - 2 years @ $4.5M AAV

FooteBahl

Took a big shitz for Nemec
Jul 19, 2005
5,491
7,530
Metuchen NJ
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Tatar’s gf/wife on his Instagram is an absolute smoke show. Stunning.
 

Camille the Eel

Registered User
I think it's likely actually.

But he had a bad season this past year and needs to get off to a good start. Too many young guys vying for spots to leave him in there doing nothing.
Any significant production would be a bounce back, to be snarky. But I think you are very possibly right. The bar is set low. He had good hands in tight spaces once upon a time and he actually got a lot of good looks at scoring chances last year. If he can finish like 15 or 20 this year he can be quite positive.

I completely agree that it's key for him to get going early. It could do wonders for his confidence, to show that this is a different season, and for the team's confidence in him.
 

Team Concept

Registered User
Jul 11, 2002
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Wingdale, New York
After watching those highlights of Tatar with some of the goals coming from a breakaway I thought I would look into Tatar's shootout stats. Only 30 attempts throughout his career with 9 goals which works out to be a 30% success rate. Then I went to look at his percentage compared to all NHL players. I discovered that Dougie Hamilton is 9th all-time in NHL history in shootout percentage with 6 goals in 11 attempts.
 

Oneiro

Registered User
Mar 28, 2013
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I feel like the Johnsson hate has gotta be one of the most overblown things I've seen on this board. I'm not a fan either but we've had like twenty scrubs that were just as bad over the last decade. And didn't get COVID?
 

MachoDiablo

Registered User
Mar 12, 2012
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Jersey City
I think Johnsson is a potential bounce back candidate. Hopefully he can be a 3rd line option at the least.
Plus trading him now is pointless: he'd bring back absolutely nothing as he's at the nadir of his value, so even a minor bounce back next season could actually turn him into an asset, whether for us or as a chip. I think with a regular season with the proper scheduling for days off, practice time, not having COVID, etc., he should absolutely improve next season to at least be a decent piece for the bottom six.

I'll just repeat what I said before: this is a good signing with really just about no downside. If Tatar is a bust, he's a bust, it's not like we're hurting for cap space. But the odds of him being a straight-up bust seem minimal; in a best case scenario he gives our young centers an experienced winger to work and develop with and acts as an ideal stop gap until our better wing prospects are ready to make the big club, all while helping us get back to competing for a playoff spot, while in a more negative scenario he's a perfectly decent player on a still-young-but-still-struggling team that can likely be traded for a nice return given the short term he's signed to.

If he was blocking someone who was ready to break through and take a top wing spot I'd be annoyed, but Marty was right awhile back when talking to the press about the organization's past bad habit of rushing prospects to the NHL; as a stopgap, Tatar gives Holtz, Mercer, Foote, and others a chance to marinate longer in Utica or get a chance to play more sheltered minutes in the NHL if they get the call and they don't want to toss them in the deep end right away. And if one of them does take the job by the throat? Well, not like Tatar is here on a massive contract, so those issues can be worked around in some manner or another.

Obviously this isn't like the Hamilton deal; Fitz clearly envisions Hamilton being around and making an impact when this club is ready to actually fight for a deep playoff run. But Tatar can help the process of the Devils working towards that point, whether as an on-ice help to the young guys or eventually as a trade chip. Good job on this one. I'm in no hurry to see any other big signings/trades this offseason, but if anything does go down I hope it's either something worth giving something up for ala the Hamilton signing, or it's moves for some veteran depth to back up the young guys in case of injuries.
 
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MadDevil

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Feb 10, 2007
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I feel like the Johnsson hate has gotta be one of the most overblown things I've seen on this board. I'm not a fan either but we've had like twenty scrubs that were just as bad over the last decade. And didn't get COVID?

I'm trying not to read too much into this last season for anybody, either positively or negatively, given the circumstances with Covid, a tightened schedule, lack of practices, etc.
 

Guttersniped

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Dec 20, 2018
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Good defensive #'s.....from a guy who played some of the least defensive minutes on the team.

Averaged the least amount of toi amongst fwds while playing with a lead, and it wasn't even close. Yet was 4th while trailing.

Pretty easy Elite/Grinder splits too.

He needs to get off to a good start or he'll be watching from the team box.
We had leads last season?
 

britdevil

Tea with milk...
Feb 15, 2007
26,912
14,566
UK
Solid signing. I think he can add 20g/30a to the line-up and should help out 5v5.
 

StevenToddIves

Registered User
May 18, 2013
11,087
28,038
Brooklyn, NY
Tatar - Hughes - Sharangovich
Zacha - Hischier - Bratt
Johnsson - Boqvist/Mercer/UFA - Kuokkanen
Wood - McLeod - Zetterlund/Studenic/UFA

Graves - Hamilton
Smith - Severson
Siegenthaler - Subban

Blackwood - Bernier

200.gif

Johnsson is not an NHL top 9 forward, but the rest of it seems pretty intriguing.
 

TheDuke93

Registered User
May 29, 2017
2,832
2,386
NJ
Zacha is far superior to Tatar on the wing. But the problem with Zacha is the Devils cannot play him at center, he is far superior on the wing than center.
Zacha has potential to be better sure, I don't see it happening as a complete player, but at no point in his career has he ever been better then Tatar.
 
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