The Buffalo Sabres are back on the ice as they have begun training camp, and there is a lot of testing that goes on over the first two days. On Friday, Rasmus Dahlin was asked about what he is seeing from the players early in training camp and if the work from the summer has shown.
The Sabres' captain was quick to point out how good Tage Thompson has looked and what it might mean for the rest of the team.
"I'm very fired up that Tommer [Thompson] had such a good summer and he has had the best results in pretty much everything," Dahlin said. "So when your best player leads the way, that is a really, really good thing."
Could Tage Thompson have a 50-goal season for the Buffalo Sabres?
After the first day of practice, Tage Thompson was asked what growth might look to him and he said while he doesn't necessarily get too caught up in the numbers he did give a milestone that he would like to hit for goals and points.
"I'd love to hit 50 goals and 100 points. That would be great but I think the priority is winning," Thompson said. "I think if I'm doing those things, we're probably winning."
He went on to say that consistency and being dominant every single night are going to be important to him this season.
Thompson has certainly come close a few times to that 50-goal milestone with 44 goals last season and 47 in the 2022-23 season. It certainly isn't unrealistic to think that he can break that mark, and if Dahlin is taking notice of what he is doing early in training camp, that is a great sign.
There is no question that the playoff drought and the lack of success are looming over this franchise. It has been a topic of discussion during these press conferences for general manager Kevyn Adams and head coach Lindy Ruff, right down to the players who have been here a while in Dahlin, Thompson and Alex Tuch.
This is a storyline they won't be able to avoid until they finally get back to the playoffs. However, as Dahlin noted, it is great when the best players on your roster are setting the tone and being the example for the other players. It helps those players elevate their game, and that is when the good teams can win on a consistent basis.
It is a long season but setting the tone early in training camp is a great first step towards what is hopefully a playoff season for the Buffalo Sabres.