It's mid-September, and Tomas Tatar remains one of the highest-profile remaining NHL free agents.
However, it looks as if a rumoured move to the Pittsburgh Penguins will no longer be going ahead. Elliotte Friedman reports on the most recent episode of his 32 Thoughts podcast that he knew the Penguins were a team with interest, but that he's «not sure» it'll be Pittsburgh. Either way, the Slovak winger is reportedly leaning toward signing with an Eastern Conference team.
No matter which team Tomas Tatar signs with, he'll now be doing it with a new agent, as he's being represented by Newport Sports Management Inc, who represent his former New Jersey Devils teammate Ondrej Palat.
The Penguins' apparent decision to not sign Tatar probably has to do with their salary cap situation. Since they have no cap room available to sign anyone other than as a professional try-out (PTO), Tatar will likely need to sign with a team with decent cash to spare. Perhaps he comes back to Jersey, after all?
POLL | ||
Will Tomas Tatar sign with a team before pre-season starts? | ||
Yes | 298 | 62.6 % |
No | 89 | 18.7 % |
Yes, but a PTO | 89 | 18.7 % |
List of polls |