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Colorado Avalanche sign free agent Tomas Tatar to one year deal

ByAlex Neier|
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 13: Tomas Tatar #90 of the New Jersey Devils looks on against the Washington Capitals during the third period of the game at Capital One Arena on April 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)
WASHINGTON, DC - APRIL 13: Tomas Tatar #90 of the New Jersey Devils looks on against the Washington Capitals during the third period of the game at Capital One Arena on April 13, 2023 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Scott Taetsch/Getty Images)

The Colorado Avalanche have signed forward Tomas Tatar to a one-year contract worth 1.5M AAV on Tuesday.

Tatar was still a solid option that was on the market late into this offseason and the Avalanche picked him up.

Tatar is one of those players that you can write in pen before any given season that will score you around 15-20 goals and 40-60 points per season.

He’s scored 15 or more goals in 9 out of 12 seasons in his NHL career and 40+ points 6 times. Teams need players like Tatar and his consistency so I’m a little surprised that he went unsigned off the market for this long.

Tomas Tatar is going to be a great addition to the Colorado Avalanche.

Playoff experience

I think this is an excellent signing for Colorado and Tatar would’ve made a huge impact for them last year in the playoffs against Seattle. Anyone who watched that series in its full length would realize the main reason the Avalanche fell to the Kraken was a lack of secondary production.

The trio of Mikko Rantanen, Nathan MacKinnon, and Devon Toews combined for 26 points, while everyone else, which includes over 9 players, combined for the same amount as those three. That’s just unacceptable so adding some stability and consistency in Tatar is key in that aspect.

Come in cheap

For the certainty and stability Tatar provides, getting him at just 1.5M AAV is a bargain. Here’s the announcement of the AAV by Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman:

For comparison, Brayden Schenn of the St Louis Blues makes 8M AAV. He plays a very similar style to Tatar. Schenn might demonstrate more leadership than Tatar but that difference in money for such similar players speaks volumes.

Filling in for the injured captain

Captain Gabriel Landeskog is out for the entirety of this season so they needed to bring in a veteran presence for their 2nd/3rd lines.  I don’t think they could’ve found a much better replacement for that role as Tatar for that price tag.

This move replenished Colorado’s forward depth and kept the expectation that they should be a top 2 team in the Central Division once again.

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