Remember when the Vegas Golden Knights acquired Tomas Tatar from the Detroit Red Wings in 2017-18? The Slovakian forward had four goals and two assists in 20 games, serving as a essential part of the team's Stanley Cup Final run.
These days, he seems to be traveling to other parts of the world. Tatar signed a two-year contract with EV Zug, shipping up to Switzerland in the process. The 34-year-old was drafted in the second round of the 2009 NHL Draft by the Red Wings, scoring 227 goals and 269 assists during his career (927 games).
Aside from the Red Wings and Golden Knights, he's also played with the Seattle Kraken, Colorado Avalanche, New Jersey Devils, and Montreal Canadiens. This season, he scored seven goals and 10 assists with the Devils, leading them to a postseason appearance.
So let's take a trip down memory lane and see what the former Golden Knights star did during his tenure. What made him special after being traded? Did he impact the Stanley Cup playoff run in the first season? Did he serve his purpose as a goal-scoring depth piece?
What Tomas Tatar meant to the Vegas Golden Knights
Looking back at the trade between the Detroit Red Wings and Vegas Golden Knights, the deal was meant to solidify the wing position. The Golden Knights needed another goal scorer to carry them during the Stanley Cup playoffs. Where, oh where, could you find such a guy?
Enter Tomas Tatar, who scored 16 goals and 12 assists in 62 games with the Red Wings. He was also a valuable power play asset, scoring eight goals and three assists on the Red Wings' unit. In Las Vegas, the Slovakian forward scored a goal and an assist on the unit.
However, the playoff run was slightly different. In eight games, he scored a goal and an assist, yet his shooting percentage was 14.3%. What happened? Well, he made sporadic appearances during the playoffs, playing two games each round. Tatar also had seven shots on goal.
Whether he would've changed the outcome of the run remains to be seen. But one thing's certain. He was the original trade deadline acquisition before big names like Tomas Hertl and Noah Hanifin.