Only a few weeks in the past, rumors had been swirling that 33-year-old Tomas Tatar would take his abilities abroad after a tough 2023-24 marketing campaign. However he rapidly modified his thoughts when the New Jersey Devils got here calling with a one-year, $1.8 million contract. He stated returning to New Jersey “felt like coming house.”
Tatar had a stellar marketing campaign with the Devils two seasons in the past (2022-23), particularly when he was positioned alongside Nico Hischier and Dawson Mercer – the trio had a 64.5 anticipated goals-for share (xGF%), which made them the second-most efficient line within the NHL that season (min. 200 TOI, by way of MoneyPuck).
They outscored their opposition by 80% (18-to-10), and Mercer and Hischier reached a career-high in each objectives and factors. Tatar notched his most objectives and factors in three seasons himself. With out Tatar as a linemate, Hischier and Mercer confronted an 18.3% downtrend in xGF%. With him, their high-danger probability differential was a outstanding plus-36. However with out him, it was useless even at zero. After a down yr for Tatar with the Seattle Kraken and Colorado Avalanche, might they regain their chemistry?
Like Tatar By no means Left…
Head coach Sheldon Keefe gave it a shot in camp and has not been given a cause to separate them up. Mercer stated with a smile, “It’s actually good to have that consolation feeling (with Tatar)”.
Associated: New Jersey Devils’ Secondary Scoring Is a Key to Their Success
The numbers again that up, as the road had a formidable 62 xGF% within the preseason. They didn’t permit a single aim in nearly 23 minutes of ice time, outmatched opponents in high-danger possibilities (5-to-2), and led in shot makes an attempt 30-to-13. From the attention take a look at, they didn’t look out of sync at any level; passes had been tape-to-tape, they usually all had a sixth sense of the place the opposite could be at any given second.
When the season kicked off in Prague, Czechia, in opposition to the Buffalo Sabres, it was extra of the identical. They’d 25% extra scoring possibilities than Buffalo, performed to a 62.5 xGF%, and haven’t surrendered a aim of their nearly 21 minutes performed (by way of Pure Stat Trick).
This place is on FIRE🔥🔥 TOMAS TATAR!!! pic.twitter.com/rhpVbFO0Zz
— Devils on MSG (@DevilsMSGN) Might 2, 2023
If it ain’t broke, don’t repair it. The Devils had a franchise report 52 wins in 2022-23, and (on paper) this yr’s staff is arguably stronger. Not solely does Tatar solidify their top-six (at an honest value), however he additionally permits for a lot of different sides of the staff to succeed.
First, the bottom-six can turn into extra consultant of what a championship-caliber staff seems like. Ondrej Palat can slip all the way down to the third line, alongside Erik Haula and Stefan Noesen. That line is an ideal mixture of protection and grit, with a pleasant scoring contact. Then that permits Paul Cotter – who is definitely able to enjoying top-six minutes – to fit on the fourth line with defense-minded Curtis Lazar and an enormous physique in Nathan Bastian.
Tatar’s return has had a domino impact, which is able to assist all of the forwards thrive of their roles. We noticed final season what placing gamers in roles they shouldn’t have does to a staff. However with a wholesome Tatar, that shouldn’t should occur. He in all probability isn’t going to shatter the earth and rating 25 objectives or 60+ factors. But when he can push near his numbers from two seasons in the past (20 objectives and 48 factors) and play the sound protection that he has finished all through his profession, the Devils will likely be a a lot better staff due to it.
Even in a down season final yr, Tatar was nonetheless a plus-10 in even-strength situations and held 60% of the high-danger aim share – that was whereas being bounced between 12 completely different traces (min. 10 TOI). The underside line is that this: Tatar is a good complementary participant, however apparently, the Devils are the one staff to view him as such. So long as there’s no large downtrend and Tatar stays wholesome, all the Devils staff will reap the advantages.
