The top 10 best players on the Buffalo Sabres roster in 2022

Apr 12, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson (72) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 12, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson (72) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports /
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Apr 17, 2022; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Buffalo Sabres right wing Tage Thompson (72) against the Philadelphia Flyers at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-USA TODAY Sports /

Player #3 – Tage Thompson, C

When you sign a seven-year extension, you get a top-end placing. And the only factors keeping Thompson from the #1 spot on the 2022-23 Buffalo Sabres is that he is not the most complete player on the roster and the fact he has just one great season to his name.

However, he arguably morphed into the best scorer on the team last season and for that, he deserves the third spot. If you remember correctly, I also listed Thompson one slot behind Jeff Skinner in my forward rankings given the former’s one-year wonder status.

Despite a new contract, I am standing pat with Thompson as I want to see him repeat those results. But with a lucrative deal in hand, it should be all the incentive he needs to not just emulate what he did last year, but to augment his production.

We won’t know for sure what kind of Tage Thompson will show in 2022-23. But given the sheer chemistry he built with Tuch, Jeff Skinner, and Olofsson, among others, the odds are in Thompson’s favor that we will see a better version of him this season.