from Travis Yost of TSN,

The prized acquisition of the trade was thought to be prospect centre . But right now, it’s another player from that deal who is helping move the needle in Montreal.

has had a fascinating career. Tatar was a reliable top-six scoring option for years in Detroit – a quality playmaker and goal scorer who fit in well on most speed-based lines. But in 2017-18, Tatar fell into a bit of a slump with the Red Wings. When Detroit prepared to gut their entire roster and enter a full-blown rebuild, they decided to ship him to Vegas for draft picks.

Tatar fit in Vegas like a square peg in a round hole. He was an ineffective attacker and never appeared to draw the confidence of head coach Gerard Gallant, who routinely made him a healthy scratch in the playoffs....

t’s too early to say which side ‘won’ the Pacioretty trade, but Tatar surely is making it interesting. Playing primarily with and in Montreal’s top six, Tatar has had a strong start to the season (five goals and eight assists in 15 games.) He’s one of the big reasons why the Canadiens are off to a hot start this season.

But Tatar hasn’t just brought an individual scoring touch to Montreal. Part of what’s made the Canadiens so successful this season is that they’re owning the puck in a way they didn’t last season, and it starts with improved performance in the top-six forwards.

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