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.
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