Tomas Tatar is not bitter towards the Montreal Canadiens
Having signed a two-year contract paying him $4.5 million annually with the Devils, former Canadiens Tomas Tatar turned the page in an interview he gave to The Athletic.
After leading his team in scoring in the 2019-2020 season (61 points), Tatar repeated the feat with a 30-point performance last year. However, it was the end of his run that marked his association with the Canadiens, as he was left out of the playoffs more often than not.
The Slovakian remembered his arrival in Montreal, he who was involved in the Max Pacioretty trade.
"All of a sudden, I felt welcomed and part of what was going on. When we started playing together, me, Gally and Phil, I felt like we had good results from day one."
It's true to say that this line has had a lot of success in recent years. Not only did it take on the best of the opposition every night, they were able to be an offensive threat when the Habs were struggling to generate offense.
"That's when everything changed for me. A lot of people were contacting me, I even felt like the media was being very nice to me. In short, I had an incredible three years there. It's hard to say, but if the end had been just a little bit different for me, I probably could have said it was perfect," said Tatar.
As for his use in the playoffs, "Tuna" believes that a roster change, especially in the Stanley Cup Finals, wouldn't have hurt.
"The first time we found ourselves in a deficit was in the Finals and that's when I really thought I could help. But the opportunity never came. It was a very strange feeling to be there and not be able to help the team I had been a part of for three years," he explained.
According to Tatar, it was last summer that he felt his days were numbered in Montreal. It was at that time that Bergevin took the opportunity to add several important players on offense.
"I think I had that feeling after we signed Toffoli and Anderson. I didn't really think there was room for me, which I understand, it's a business and you can't keep everybody. I was pretty disappointed, but that's hockey, that's how it is."
In 198 games played in Montreal, Tatar still collected 149 points, an average of 0.75 points per game. He has certainly revived his career here after a brief, disappointing run in Las Vegas.
The former 60th overall pick in 2009 also took the opportunity to discuss the pressure of the Montreal market.
"When I was at the top, everything was fine. I was loved. And at the end, there was a lot of speculation about me. There are always people on both sides and you can't please everyone."
So the Slovakian had a great run overall with the Canadiens. It's a pity that it ended this way because he did a lot of good for the organization. Let's wish him the best of luck in New Jersey!
