New Jersey Devils: 5 Facts From Media Day That Actually Matter
By Nick Villano
3. “I would say players make mistakes. Coaches make mistakes. My job is to show how bad a mistake that was.” –Tomas Tatar
Tomas Tatar is the Devils biggest addition at the forward position. There were some interesting PTOs in Jimmy Vesey, Frederik Gauthier, and Mark Jankowski signed over the past two weeks. However, Tatar is expected to make the biggest impact of all of them.
The issue that’s hovering over Tatar’s signing is what the Montreal Canadiens did to him in the playoffs. The Habs made a run all the way to the Stanley Cup Final, but he only played five total playoff games with zero goals. He didn’t play a game after the Round 1 series with the Toronto Maple Leafs. He was forced to watch his team lose the Final from the owner’s box.
Tomas Tatar, Montreal's fourth leading scorer last year, was asked about getting healthy scratched during the playoffs.
— Sean Farrell (@seanfarrell92) September 22, 2021
"I would say players make mistakes. Coaches make mistakes. My job is to show how bad a mistake that was. I'm pretty confident with what I can do on the ice."
Tatar has everything to prove this season. There is never going to be more motivation for him to succeed than there is this season. Tatar was basically told by his team that he was not good enough to help them win. He was never given a second opportunity, and now he has a chip on his shoulder. The Devils are going to work as Tatar’s second chance, and it’s clear that is something that is driving him before the season starts.
The Devils made the right move bringing in Tatar. He could be the steal of the offseason. A team literally gave up on him when it matters most. Now, he has a chance to prove them wrong. It sounds like he is ready to prove exactly that.