Tatar appeared on track for a fourth straight 20-goal season with the Detroit Red Wings in 2017-18 when he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for three draft picks on Feb. 26, 2018.
The trade gave Vegas a player who had averaged more than 23 goals during his first four full seasons with the Red Wings.
Tatar appeared on track for a fourth straight 20-goal season with the Detroit Red Wings in 2017-18 when he was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights for three draft picks on Feb. 26, 2018.
The trade gave Vegas a player who had averaged more than 23 goals during his first four full seasons with the Red Wings.
The Red Wings selected Tatar in the second round (No. 60) of the 2009 NHL Draft, and he spent most of the next three seasons with Grand Rapids, their American Hockey League affiliate. In his first three seasons in the organization he appeared in nine NHL games, all in 2010-11, and scored one goal.
But Tatar continued to plug away in the minors, improving his point total in each of the first three seasons with Grand Rapids and playing a huge role in the run to the 2013 Calder Cup championship. Joining Grand Rapids after the Red Wings had been eliminated from the Stanley Cup Playoffs, Tatar went on a scoring tear, finishing with 21 points (16 goals, five assists) in 24 games as Grand Rapids defeated Syracuse in six games in the Calder Cup Final. Tatar had a goal in the 5-2 title-clinching victory.
Tatar made the Red Wings roster in 2013-14 and earned a new contract by finishing with 39 points (19 goals, 20 assists) in 73 games. Seasons of 29, 21 and 25 goals followed, and he had 16 goals in 62 games before being traded to the Golden Knights.
The native of Ilava, Slovakia, has been a mainstay internationally for his country, participating in two IIHF World Junior Championships, the 2014 Sochi Olympics and four IIHF World Championships. Tatar was the youngest player on Slovakia's roster at the 2012 World Championship in Finland, but contributed five points to help Slovakia win the silver medal.
NOTES & TRANSACTIONS
- Jack A. Butterfield Trophy (AHL - Playoff MVP) (2013)
- Signed as a free agent by Piestany (Slovakia), September 20, 2012.
- Traded to Vegas by Detroit for Vegas' 1st round pick in 2018 NHL Draft, NY Islanders' 2nd round pick (previously acquired) in 2019 NHL Draft and Vegas' 3rd round pick in 2021 NHL Draft, February 26, 2018.
- Traded to Montreal by Vegas with Nick Suzuki and Columbus' 2nd-round pick in 2019 NHL Draft (previously acquired) for Max Pacioretty, September 10, 2018.
