3. Tomas Tatar
Word on the street is that Tomas Tatar is heading overseas after this season, but we'll believe it when we see it. It's possible Tatar sees how his career has gone over the last two years and feels a reset outside the NHL is necessary. After the 2022-23 season with the Devils, Tatar expected a big deal. He left one on the table in New Jersey, and he was forced to sign a bad one in Colorado. He returned to New Jersey this offseason, bu it hasn't been a good fit.
Yet, if Tatar goes off this postseason, none of it will matter. A team will talk themselves into a two-year contract at possible $2 million if he dominates. Heck, if he scores five goals throughout the postseason, a team will talk themselves into him.
Tatar doesn't have a great reputation in the postseason, but that might make it even better. If he's able to beat back the playoff demons this year when everything else went wrong, it will build the respect many teams have for him. He's scored 20+ goals in a season six times, and he is a decent veteran presence on the third or fourth line.
It might be a done deal that Tatar is done in the NHL. He's 34 years old and made plenty of money during his career. He might just want to be closer to his home of Czechia. He was able to play an NHL game there for the first time, and that might have fed his desires. If not, he needs a good playoff run to get a guaranteed contract.