3 former Detroit Red Wings struggling to crack Montreal’s lineup
By Bob Heyrman
Former Detroit Red Wings forward Tomas Tatar is having trouble cracking the Montreal lineup.
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The 30-year old forward recorded back-to-back 20-plus goal seasons with the Canadiens, but after scoring 25, 22 goals, respectfully, Tatar’s scoring dried up in 2021. Tomas Tatar recorded just 10 goals but 30 points in 50 games this past season while averaging just 14:59 minutes of ice-time.
Tatar appeared in five playoff games for Montreal in the first round, but after falling behind in the series and on the brink of elimination, head coach Dominique Ducharme made a change and hasn’t looked back.
The playoffs haven’t been kind to Tatar over the course of his career. He’s recorded just six goals and 12 points in 40 career postseason contests. Last year Tatar played in 10 games, recording two goals. In five games this year, he’s notched just one assist.
Detroit flipped Tatar to Vegas back in 2018 in exchange for a first-round pick in 2018, which turned out to be Joe Veleno, a second-round pick in ’19, which turned out to be Robert Mastrosimone. The Red Wings also secured a third-round pick in the upcoming 2021 NHL Draft. Quite a haul for an aging forward who is struggling to crack a lineup.
Tatar recorded 115 goals, 222 points in 407 games with the Red Wings.
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Tatar is a pending free agent and will be hard-pressed to find a deal that will pay him anything near the expiring contract that averages $5.3 million per season.