With training camp starting in a few hours, many New Jersey Devils fans will learn for the first time that some of their favorite players are no longer with the organization. It might sound crazy, but this is when a lot of Devils fans plug into what the team did in the offseason. Many fans are going to be shocked when they see just how many lower-level players are no longer in the building.
Long-term Devils like Curtis Lazar, Nathan Bastian, and Erik Haula are now wearing other uniforms, but at least fans can watch their games around the NHL. Some of the lost Devils are now playing overseas. The most popular of that bunch is Tomas Tatar.
Many were very excited when Tatar returned to the Devils last offseason. He signed late, and it was expected to be the final piece of the forwards puzzle. He never found the magic he had in his first stint when his connection with Nico Hischier was hard to define, but absolutely worked. This time, he spent most of his time with the fourth line, and he just never found a place that fit.
This offseason, Tatar signed with EV Zug of the Swiss league. Many believe he has played his last season in the NHL, as his contract in Switzerland is for multiple years.
Their season has already started, and Tatar is already in trouble. According to a statement from the National Leagu\, Tatar fell on top of an opposing player while they were face down on the ice, cross-checking them in the back of the head/neck. The statement goes on to say that, while the check wasn’t overly forceful, it was “reckless and unnecessary.”
Due to the infraction, Tatar was suspended for a game and fined 2,500 Swiss francs.
In May 2023, Tatar was fined $5,000 for high-sticking Sebastian Aho in Game 3 of their second-round series. Aho hit him with a light cross-check, and Tatar turned around quickly with his stick up high, hitting his opponent in the head.
Tomas Tatar did not like being cross-checked by Sebastian Aho, catching him high with his retaliation#NJDevils | #LetsGoCanes pic.twitter.com/j1fiS2VWg0
— Hockey Daily 365 l NHL Highlights & News (@HockeyDaily365) May 7, 2023
Tatar doesn't have an extensive history of discipline, and this sounds like more of a mistake than anything.