Buffalo Sabres winger Tage Thompson has worked hard all season and it is paying off for him as he finally seems to be reaching fans expectations.
When Tage Thompson arrived in Buffalo as part of the Ryan O’Reilly trade, Sabres fans were elated that they were getting a top end talent with huge upside. A massive 6’6 forward with slick hands and a booming shot. At the start of the season, Thompson found himself struggling. Putting up points was a bit of an issue, but his unimpressive play in general began to sour fans, and coach Phil Housley as Thompson found himself sitting in the press box for a number of games.
More recently, Tage Thompson has found a stride that fans have been hoping him to hit in full force. He is a big bodied forward so he needed to be an imposing presence, but where he can further burn opponents is in his skating, and stick handling ability. He has the ability to create a burst of speed from practically nowhere (similar in fact to how Eichel does), and he has the stick creativity to dance around defenders despite his size. It’s a fantastic combination that makes him a fun player to watch.
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For this season so far, Thompson has found himself on the third and fourth lines, but in recent games he has been on the second line with Vladimir Sobotka. He has been showing his ability to be a potential top six power forward in the NHL, and it seems to have earned him an even bigger shot.
Tomorrow evening the Buffalo Sabres will face off against the Carolina Hurricanes, and it looks like Tage Thompson may be playing right wing on the top line with Jack Eichel and Jeff Skinner. This moves Sam Reinhart to the second line with Sobotka and Conor Sheary, but that spread of scoring will help the Sabres as a team in the long run.
Here’s what Thompson brings to the top line, should he be there tomorrow evening; he brings a different kind of physical presence to a line that has Jeff Skinner as the heaviest hitter usually, but it also brings a level of offensive creativity that could work extremely well with Eichel. The reality is that Eichel could play with anyone on the team and they will have their play elevated. He did this with Jason Pominville earlier this year, and it would be nice to see that happen to a player like Thompson.
Tage Thompson currently sits with 9 points in 36 games, but the way he has been playing recently, I wouldn’t be surprised to see those numbers begin to steadily jump.