Buffalo Sabres: Just how “great” is Tage Thompson’s contract?

Nearly 11 months ago, Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson signed a seven-year extension worth nearly $50 million. Was it a great move?

We are approaching one year since Tage Thompson signed a blockbuster deal that will keep him with the Buffalo Sabres until the 2029-30 season. In the months after Tage signed the contract, which is set to kick in this season, he gave the Blue and Gold a legendary campaign, scoring 94 points and 47 goals.

As fans, we may look at his contract and the numbers he put up this past season, and believe it was one epic signing. But what do the critics think? Sean McIndoe of The Athletic offered their intake on Tage’s contract and came up with a final verdict:

"“It does feel like there’s a little more risk here than on similar deals (and that’s before getting into the up-and-down injury history of guys with Thompson’s size). But as with any risk, the question turns to what the downside is. Even if Thompson settles in as closer to a 35-goal, 70-point player, he’s still worth the cap hit. When the floor is “good deal we can happily live with” and the ceiling is “unstoppable monster making just $7 million,” that sure feels like a great contract to me.” – via The Athletic"

So what do I think of McIndoe’s statement? For one, they are right in terms of risk. When the Sabres extended Tage last August, I was ecstatic to see it. But from my point of view, I also believed extending a player who only had one good season that fell short of spectacular was a gutsy move.

Tage Thompson’s contract with the Buffalo Sabres looks great, but…

McIndoe outlined injury history, and Tage didn’t make it through the 2022-23 season unscathed, thanks to an ailment he suffered late in the season. Tage would miss time between March 26th and April 3rd, which gave Casey Mittelstadt a chance to fill in on the first line.

However, let’s assume that McIndoe’s 35-goal scenario proves to be correct. Would we think Tage Thompson’s extension was a great move in hindsight?

This is subjective to one’s point of view, but if Tage gives the Sabres between 30 and 40 goals per year, on average, they bust into the postseason throughout most if not all of his contract’s duration, AND they make deep playoff runs, then this was a great move. We would also see it as one that fueled some exciting Buffalo Sabres teams in the 2020s.

But if Tage averages that same range of goals and the Sabres are getting knocked out of the playoffs in the first round year in and year out, then it was a good contract, but there will be obvious blemishes on it. As it stands, however, I will agree with McIndoe and say yes, this is a great contract. But that doesn’t mean I won’t change my mind on it when it’s all said and done sometime by the end of the decade.

Source: Which NHL stars have great contracts? It’s the return of Cap Court, with a twist by Sean McIndoe, The Athletic

(Statistics provided by Hockey-Reference, salary information provided by Cap Friendly)