With Gabriel Landeskog set to miss the entire 2023-24 season, Colorado has spent their offseason filling out their middle-6 forward spots. They signed Miles Wood, they traded for Ross Colton and Ryan Johansen, and they signed Nathan MacKinnon's junior hockey running mate, Jonathan Drouin. Even still, there was room for more depth, and they did just that by signing winger Tomas Tatar:
Let's break it down.
What Colorado Gets
The struggles Tatar has had in the postseason throughout his career is notable, but for fantasy hockey purposes, all we're concerned with is the regular season. He was good in his role for two years in New Jersey, scoring 32 even strength goals across 156 games. The former Red Wing hit 20 goals in 2022-23, the seventh time he's reached that mark (though he's never reached 30). The 32-year-old didn't shoot much because he often played around 15 minutes, but he could flirt with two shots per game in Colorado. It isn't great, but it's not nothing for a guy that can also put up anywhere between 60-80 hits in a full season. At his price, there is value in banger cap leagues.
In real hockey, his steady two-way play is what has made him valuable. In fantasy hockey, unless injuries hit and he's pushed up the lineup, expecting anything more than 20 goals and 50 points is far too much. If he can have a 20-20 season, that'll be just fine for the Avs.
Looking at the larger picture, this is insurance for the top-6 mix. In a perfect world, Drouin meshes instantly with MacKinnon, the team can stay relatively healthy, and Tatar bolsters the depth scoring on the third line. It does give some internal pressure on Drouin to succeed because now there is a proven second-line winger on the roster besides the returning ones. It wouldn't be surprising to see Tatar have some games on the top line, but if he's there for an extended period, it's due to injury or underperformance. His signing would help complete what could be a very good third line with Wood and Colton.
Who This Helps
Who This Hurts
Logan O'Connor
Related Posts
UPCOMING GAMES
WSH
CAR
WPG
DALStarting Goalies
Top Skater Views
TOR
DET
MINTop Goalie Profile Views
EDM
FLA
LINE COMBOS
| Frequency |
 VGK Players
| |
|---|---|---|
| 23.2 | NICOLAS ROY TOMAS HERTL PAVEL DOROFEYEV | |
| 22.2 | REILLY SMITH WILLIAM KARLSSON IVAN BARBASHEV | |
| 20.6 | VICTOR OLOFSSON BRETT HOWDEN JACK EICHEL | |
DobberHockey Podcasts
Keeping Karlsson: KK Leagues Report – 2025 Champs!
Derrick talks to the big winners of the various Keeping Karlsson leagues from this past season. He’s first joined by the new KKUPFL Ultimate Champion Ian and the reigning fast-track winner Alec. Then Derrick is joined by the year 1 KK Dynasty League champions Ian (different Ian), Saqib, and Brett, aka the “Good ol’ Ottawa Boys”.
Fantasy Hockey Life: Anaheim Ducks with Derek Lee
Derek Lee of the Hockey News is here to report on the Anaheim Ducks. Jesse and Victor interview him about returning pros Troy Terry, Mason McTavish, Trevor Zegras, Frank Vatrano, Leo Carlsson, Cutter Gauthier, Sam Colangelo, Jackson LaCombe, Olen Zellweger, Pavel Mintyukov, Radko Gudas, Jacob Trouba, Lukas Dostal, and John Gibson. In Cat’s Instincts, Cat […]
Fantasy Hockey Life: Fluto Shinzawa Boston Bruins Preview
Fluto Shinzawa of the New York Times joins the show to break down the Boston Bruins. Jesse and Victor ask him about David Pastrnak, Morgan Geekie, Pavel Zacha, Elias Lindholm, Casey Mittelstadt, Matthew Poitras, Fraser Minten, Charlie McAvoy, Mason Lohrei, Hampus Lindholm, Jeremy Swayman, and Joonas Korpisalo. Cat’s instincts covers prospect goalies Brandon Bussi and […]
Keeping Karlsson: First Round Fly-Bys
Elan and Brian fly by each of the eight NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs quarter-final series, highlighting stand-out performances and storylines of the first round so far.
Fantasy Hockey Life: TIDY Champs Roundtable
What does it take to win a division of our Tiered Dynasty league? Champs Sasha, Scott, Kevin, and top tier champ Mason Black join Victor, Jesse, and TIDY co-commish Simon for a roundtable chat. It’s a great dynasty strategy talk. Have a listen! Our show is part of the Dobber Podcast Network and sponsored by […]