Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson has enjoyed a career year, becoming the first on the team to reach 30 goals scored this season
Just a season ago, Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson was headed for the NHL’s muck pile. The former first-round pick appeared in 38 games in 2020-21, logging just eight goals and six assists.
It was another downer of a season, with Thompson appearing in just one game the previous year because of injury. Before the 2021-22 NHL Season, Thompson appeared in 145 games, with just 35 points to show for it.
Here’s some more fun. On October 14th, 2021, Expected Buffalo made their annual predictions for the Sabres 2021-22 season.
Who was their projected scoring leader? It was Casey Mittelstadt, who they predicted to contribute 51 points. They said Jeff Skinner would lead the team in goals scored with 22.
As for the Team MVP? Defenseman Rasmus Dahlin. So Expected Buffalo may have gotten the Dahlin prediction right. They were also somewhat accurate in predicting the Sabres record and points total this season, at 31-43-8 for 70 points.
Their projected Biggest Surprise (in a good way), was Vinnie Hinostroza. When healthy, Hinostroza has developed into a solid contributor.
What was the only mention of Thompson in the article? The reference of him being “notoriously dismal defensive entity.” Okay, so Thompson’s defense isn’t the greatest with just 52 hits and 38 takeaways.
However, Thompson’s offensive prowess has remained on display throughout the season. To the point where he became one of the NHL’s biggest surprises in 2021-22.
He’s not only leading the team in goals (30), but also points (53), and he’s tied for second on the team in assists (23). Thompson also leads the team in shooting percentage at 13.7 (minimum 100 shots on goal).
So how does he rank against the league’s best in the following offensive categories? Keep reading for more.