The Tomas Tatar experiment has come to an end.
Just over three months after signing the 33-year-old forward to a one-year deal, the Avs have traded Tatar to the Seattle Kraken for a 2024 fifth-round draft pick. Tatar appeared in 27 games for Colorado, compiling a goal and 8 assists.
Tatar was signed on Sep. 12 for $1.5 million in a late-summer attempt to bolster Colorado’s forward group. He started the season on the third line with fellow newcomers Miles Wood and Ross Colton before moving up and down the lineup. The veteran of 13 NHL seasons struggled to find his fit with the Avalanche and was a healthy scratch twice. Most recently, Tatar was on the Avalanche’s second line with two other newcomers, Ryan Johansen and Jonathan Drouin. He didn’t score until Tuesday against the Calgary Flames in his 26th game and averaged a career-low 11:16 of ice time per game.
It’s unclear at this time if another move is coming for the Avs. The NHL will go into a holiday roster freeze from Dec. 20-27. Teams are unable to make any trades during that period.