Buffalo Sabres: Did the Eichel Trade brew Tage Thompson’s legend?
By Sion Fawkes
There is a growing consensus online that the Buffalo Sabres trade of Jack Eichel helped brew Tage Thompson’s legend in the Queen City.
The Jack Eichel Trade set off a chain reaction among the Buffalo Sabres that we have talked about several times here at Sabre Noise. But one aspect of the trade that I never considered was the fact it could have helped spur Tage Thompson’s growth from a fringe bottom six forward and into a brewing legend.
Since the 2021-22 season began, Tage played in 114 games and scored 123 points. When you look at the overall numbers, Tage outlasted Eichel in virtually every aspect. While Eichel is enjoying a remarkable season himself in 2023, it is nowhere near what Tage has done.
But what if the Sabres and Eichel worked out their differences and the trade never occurred? Would Tage be on the top line today, or would this team look dramatically different.
Tage Thompson would have a different role with the Buffalo Sabres
Given Tage’s 55 points in 36 contests this season, and his 68 in 78 last year, I’ll go on record to say that he would still have a larger role with the team than he had previously. However, it is highly unlikely Tage would be the star he is today, and it’s even more likely the Sabres wouldn’t be the same high-octane team as a result.
Had the Sabres kept Eichel, we also wouldn’t have Alex Tuch, who would still be a middle six player in Vegas occasionally playing with the first line. We also wouldn’t have the Kid Line, as most likely, Tage would have worked his way into the second line, passing Casey Mittelstadt, who would have dropped to the third, if not the fourth line given Dylan Cozens’ emergence.
Tage would be a solid second liner, but it would be ludicrous to think the Sabres would have signed him to such a lucrative contract. Literally the type of contract a franchise player signs for a team to build around them.
Instead, the Sabres would be building around Eichel, who while an effective player, had never come close to putting up Tage Thompson numbers. This also means the Buffalo Sabres as a team would likely be entering the Connor Bedard sweepstakes as opposed to joining the wild card race at midseason.
The Eichel trade, as we know, brought over Alex Tuch and Peyton Krebs. Tage and Tuch have become a lethal one-two combo, with winger Jeff Skinner joining in on the fun. Overall, their chemistry is far better than anything we had seen from Eichel and his line mates, both in Buffalo and in Vegas.
Instead of keeping Eichel and letting Tage play on the second line, the latter has since become one of the best players in the NHL and will likely be in the conversation for the Hart Trophy. Tuch is more than a solid player, and Krebs has proven his worth as one of the more physical forwards in the game.
Sabres: Tage has played way better than you think. light. Related Story
Overall, the Eichel trade opened the door for Tage to snag the first line center spot. And the rest, just over one year later, has been history. Tage has since signed a seven year contract to stay in Buffalo, so you can expect repeat seasons for a long time. So did the Eichel trade brew the Legend of Tage Thompson? It definitely opened the door for it.
(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference)
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