Bidding War Expected to pick up for star Winger
Tomas Tatar has been one of the most consistent wingers in the NHL since his arrival, but now he finds himself without a team heading into the 2023-24 season.
A potential bidding war
Now, in a recent interview, he has revealed that there's been plenty of interest this summer, but due to the salary cap crunch and one-year deals only being offered, he's yet to make a decision.
A lot of people asked me two years ago why I was going to the Devils. We made a lot of progress during the season. The NHL is such a balanced competition that the details really decide in it. The potential in the team was there, I saw that it could be something special and it turned out to be the right move in the end.
The situation is somewhat different now. I'm a bit older. We'll see, I'm trying to be very careful in my selection, because I want to achieve something in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup would be wonderful. I try to think about many things when choosing a club and I hope that we will put it together as soon as possible,"
The last two days it has really moved after being stagnant for a while. I communicated directly with the coaches of the teams I could go to, what my role would be on the team. But I don't want to promise when it will be finally resolved.
The situation with the salary cap is not easy, I'm sorry that I was the one who jumped on it. But I won't complain about it. I may have to wait longer for some teams because of the changes they will have to make to make room for me. But I'm already pushing it so that it happens as soon as possible."
"It's been more teams since the beginning. There were many interested parties, which reassured me. The problem was more in the agreement. Whether it was about the length of the contract or the amount, we always fought with someone. The last few days I put some things aside and tried to look at teams where I would feel the best and it would make the most sense. Maybe that's why it moved in the right direction."
"I wanted at least two years again. Even if something didn't work the first year, it could then start to get better in the second year, just like it did with the Devils. If I had left there after the first year, I would have been disappointed, but I stayed a year longer and today I say with a smile that the Devils as an organization are definitely among the good ones.
I gained great leadership experience there and I will remember it fondly. That's why I'm trying to be very careful and today it's headed for a one-year contract because of the salary cap space.
The situation is somewhat different now. I'm a bit older. We'll see, I'm trying to be very careful in my selection, because I want to achieve something in the NHL, winning the Stanley Cup would be wonderful. I try to think about many things when choosing a club and I hope that we will put it together as soon as possible,"
The last two days it has really moved after being stagnant for a while. I communicated directly with the coaches of the teams I could go to, what my role would be on the team. But I don't want to promise when it will be finally resolved.
The situation with the salary cap is not easy, I'm sorry that I was the one who jumped on it. But I won't complain about it. I may have to wait longer for some teams because of the changes they will have to make to make room for me. But I'm already pushing it so that it happens as soon as possible."
"It's been more teams since the beginning. There were many interested parties, which reassured me. The problem was more in the agreement. Whether it was about the length of the contract or the amount, we always fought with someone. The last few days I put some things aside and tried to look at teams where I would feel the best and it would make the most sense. Maybe that's why it moved in the right direction."
"I wanted at least two years again. Even if something didn't work the first year, it could then start to get better in the second year, just like it did with the Devils. If I had left there after the first year, I would have been disappointed, but I stayed a year longer and today I say with a smile that the Devils as an organization are definitely among the good ones.
I gained great leadership experience there and I will remember it fondly. That's why I'm trying to be very careful and today it's headed for a one-year contract because of the salary cap space.
A prolific scorer
After back-to-back 30 point seasons with New Jersey, Tatar bounced back in 2022-23, posting 48 points, and with many playoff teams looking for depth and experience up front, he fits the bill.
He may not sign soon, but with just two months before the season begins, it appears a bidding war is on the way, especially with a lack of top tier talent left on the free agent market.
As Read on Hockey Feed - Bidding for Tatar picks up «over past two days»
| POLL | ||
Can Tatar get back to being a 50+ point scorer? | ||
| Yes | 18 | 45 % |
| No | 22 | 55 % |
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