It may not have been announced until after the 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, but the Vegas Golden Knights have indeed traded for Tomas Tatar of the Detroit Red Wings in exchange for three draft picks (a 2018 first, 2019 second and 2021 third).
Tatar to Vegas for a 1st this year, 2nd next year and a 3rd in 2021.
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) February 26, 2018
Tatar, 27, has been having a down year with the Red Wings. Through 62 games, the Slovakia native has registered 16 goals and just 28 points with a minus-8 rating on the season.
That said, Tatar is only a few years removed from a magnificent 29-goal campaign during the 2014-15 season. Tatar has scored 20-plus goals in each of the last three seasons and is once again in reach of hitting that milestone this year.
He is in the first season of a four-year, $21.2 million contract with an average annual value of $5.3 million, per CapFriendly.
The Golden Knights sent a significant haul to Detroit in order to acquire Tatar. With this trade, the Golden Knights no longer have a first-round selection in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft, which will surely ruffle some feathers amongst the Golden Knights’ fanbase. However, Tatar is a speedy winger who fits Vegas’ scheme well. Still, though, that doesn’t excuse the fact that George McPhee and company gave up a ton for the bottom-six forward.
This is a high-risk, high-reward trade for the Golden Knights. While it does shore up the team’s bottom six in the short term, it does negatively impact Vegas’ future in terms of draft assets.