Tatar looks to rebound with Habs after disappointing stint in Vegas
Tomas Tatar didn’t come cheap when the Vegas Golden Knights acquired him from the Detroit Red Wings at last year’s NHL trade deadline.
Golden Knights GM George McPhee gave the Red Wings a first-round pick at this year’s NHL Entry Draft (used to select centre Joe Veleno, a Kirkland native who plays for the QMJHL’s Drummondville Voltigeurs), a secondround pick in 2019 that originally belonged to the New York Islanders and a third-round pick in 2021.
“We went into the deadline with one thing circled on our board, or at least this part of the deadline, and that was adding one more topnine forward and we accomplished that,” McPhee told reporters after making the trade.
“He’s only 27,” McPhee said about Tatar after the trade. “He’s quick, he’s competitive and he can score. He’s scored 20 goals a season over the last three years and he’s on pace to do it again.
“We didn’t want to trade draft picks for someone who isn’t going to be here after the summer and he has three years left on his contract. We’re happy about that.”
McPhee is happy he was able to trade Tatar to the Canadiens on Monday, along with prospect Nick Suzuki and a second-round pick at next year’s NHL Draft, in exchange for Max Pacioretty.
Things didn’t go well for Tatar in Las Vegas. After posting 16-1228 totals in 62 games with the Red Wings, the 5-foot-10, 185-pound left winger had 4-2-6 totals in 20 regular-season games with the Golden Knights and was then a healthy scratch for 12 of 20 playoff games as Vegas advanced to the Stanley Cup final before losing to the Washington Capitals. Tatar had 1-1-2 totals in the eight playoff games he did dress for and averaged 12:25 of ice time.
“You know what, it wasn’t easy,” Tatar said about his experience with the Golden Knights during a conference call from Las Vegas on Tuesday. “It was my first trade.”
Tatar has been traded twice in just over six months.
“When they want to trade you somewhere, it just means you’re not wanted there, but the team who wants to trade for you means they want you in the organization, on the team,” said Tatar, who has three seasons remaining on a fouryear, US$21.2-million contract that has an annual $5.3-million salary cap hit. As part of the trade, the Golden Knights will retain $500,000 of Tatar’s salary-cap hit.
The Habs wanted Suzuki more than they wanted Tatar, with Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin making it clear at the team’s golf tournament on Monday that the 19-year-old forward was the key to the trade.
Suzuki, a 5-foot-11, 183-pounder who can play centre or wing, posted 42-58-100 totals in 64 games last season with the OHL’s Owen Sound Attack after being selected by the Golden Knights in the first round (13th overall) at the 2017 NHL Draft.
The Red Wings selected Tatar in the second round (60th overall) at the 2009 NHL Draft. He has scored at least 20 goals in each of the last four seasons and in 427 career regular-season games in the NHL has 119-109-228 totals. His best season was 2014-15, when he posted 2927-56 totals with the Red Wings.
When asked if Monday’s trade took him by surprise, Tatar said: “Yeah, I mean, you always are.”
He added: “It took me five minutes to realize what really happened, and then after the excitement took over, I was really excited to join Montreal.”
As for his time in Las Vegas, Tatar said: “Obviously I knew I should be better, but at the end when we get to the playoffs, the only goal for the whole team is to go as far as you can and win the Stanley Cup . ... You just have to support the team and try to make as much out of it. At the end of the day, we were one step away from a Stanley Cup.”
Now Tatar gets a second fresh start with the Canadiens, who are many, many steps away from a Stanley Cup as they rebuild their roster after finishing 28th in the overall NHL standings last season.
“I’m really excited and looking forward,” Tatar said. “Montreal is a great team with a big history, an Original Six (team), so it’s wellrespected. So it’s a huge honour and opportunity.
“I’m 27, so it should be the prime age.”
Tatar and Suzuki were scheduled to fly from Las Vegas to Montreal on Wednesday and will be at the Bell Sports Complex in Brossard Thursday when Canadiens players report for their physicals on the first day of training camp.
The Canadiens will play the Golden Knights twice this season, on Nov. 10 at the Bell Centre and on Dec. 22 in Las Vegas.