Quoting: J2W
You seem to like bringing up Vegas to diminish Tatar's trade value (a good number of people seem to), but ignore the fact that Vegas traded for a top 6 winger (Tatar) then refused to use him in the top 6 because 'chemistry', and less than a year later, literally by the next deadline, either traded or demoted to bottom 6 roles half of their top 6 to bring in 3 new guys (Statsny, Pacioretty, and Stone). If you want to view that as a players failure that's fair, it might be, but it certainly looks like Vegas screwed up by trying to hard to ride the whole outcasts identity they had further than it could carry them.
As for his value, figure out what a team would trade for a rental having the season Tatar is having and then add what a team who thinks the will be contending will trade for that during the off season, and then you have a 'fair' price for Tatar. The Pacioretty trade, were MTL had almost no leverage, is a good base for the 2nd part, and this coming TDL will have some comparables, but Tatar's pts/gm (in what is admittedly a career year) are currenly better this season than any rental available.
I'm sorry.. But if you are comparing Tatar to Pacioretty I have to stop there. No one will compare the two players. Patches has so many tools that make him an elite player from time to time. Tatar is having a great year, but no one will ever say he is an elite player. I think all of Montreal would agree with that.
If I'm the Pens, I would give up Poulin, a first, and a good deal more to get Pacioretty, even though i think his contract will eventually turn sour. Tatar is just not the same player.
I use the Vegas example because this year doesn't show his true value. The Pens have to think about worst case scenario... The Vegas issue is worst case scenario. They didn't try to play him on the fourth line. For the entirety of his Pens career, Kessel played most of his minutes on the third line and PP. This is similar to what Vegas was doing with Tatar until he went ice cold.
Tatar is a system fit kind of guy. His production WILL be affected by the system he is in. That is the main point about the Vegas production. Montreal is using this season to prepare their young talent moving forward. There is nothing wrong with that at all. But Tatar is benefitting from that greatly.