2. Tomas Tatar
Tomas Tatar returned this season to huge fanfare. He was considered the "last piece" of the offseason. He signed for a simple one-year deal after a lost season with the Colorado Avalanche and Seattle Kraken. Most Devils fans expected the veteran to play really well.
Tatar started the season in the top six, which was an issue that needed to be addressed much earlier than it was. Tatar had amazing chemistry with Nico Hischier when he was here the first time, but a lot has changed since he left. Yes, it's only a few years, but Tatar is a fourth-line player now. He's a good one, but a fourth-line player nonetheless.
The Devils only got 17 points out of Tatar in 74 games. That's just not good enough. His underlying numbers were better, but at some point, a player has to perform. Tatar didn't, and it was worse in the playoffs. He finished the Carolina series with no points despite being on a power-play unit.
There have already been rumors that Tatar is heading for Europe after the season. That would make sense. He's going to turn 35 next season, so if he spends some time in Europe and returns, he gets the luxury of a 35+ contract. If he stays there, he gets to play closer to home. It's a win-win for Tatar. We enjoyed having him back, but we expected more offensively.