The Buffalo Sabres aren't willingly going to move All-Star forward Tage Thompson before the 2026 NHL trade deadline, but that doesn't mean a deal is completely off the table.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reported Monday on the 32 Thoughts Podcast that Buffalo has "zero" interest in trading Thompson, who's produced two of his best performances of the season since trade rumors began to swirl, but the NHL insider noted that's only half the equation.
"Now, if at some point Tage Thompson wants to force the issue — at some point and that's not now — it's different," Friedman said. "But the bottom line is they don't want to do this."
So far, the 28-year-old Sabres franchise cornerstone has given no public indication he wants out of Western New York. If that day eventually arrives, however, the organization is going to make it clear why a trade has entered the conversation.
"If [Thompson's camp] wants to force the issue you say, 'OK, you force the issue.' We want everyone to know that we did this because the player wanted it," Friedman said. "... He's a top player, he's our guy and we're not going anywhere with him. If he leaves, it's not gonna be because we want him to leave."
Thompson has recorded 16 points (eight goals and eight assists) in 18 games this season, but Buffalo sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference with a 6-8-4 record.
Will Tage Thompson eventually reach the same breaking point as past Buffalo Sabres studs?
In April 2018, then-Sabres center Ryan O'Reilly discussed the impact the organization's lack of success was starting to have on his own mindset.
"We're stuck in this mindset of just being OK with losing," O’Reilly told reporters. "I feel too it's really crept into myself. Over the course of the year I lost myself a lot, where it was just kind of get through, being OK with just not making a mistake, and that's not winning hockey at all and it's crept into all of our games. It's disappointing. It's sad."
ROR added: "I feel throughout the year I've lost the love of the game multiple times and just need to get back to it because it's eating myself up and eats the other guys up, too. It's eating us up. It's tough."
Three months later, O'Reilly was traded to the St. Louis Blues, where he immediately became a key contributor and ultimately helped lead the club's run to the 2019 Stanley Cup title.
In April 2021, then-Sabres center Jack Eichel refused to commit to Buffalo for the long haul and confirmed there was also disagreement about the treatment of his neck injury.
"I have a lot of thinking to do in this offseason," Eichel said. "There's a lot that I have to consider."
Seven months later, Eichel was traded to the Vegas Golden Knights. He played a crucial role in the Knights' 2023 championship season and has emerged as a top-tier NHL MVP candidate this year.
It's fair to wonder whether Thompson may eventually join that list of disgruntled Sabres players who went on to live their best hockey life elsewhere.
The Team USA Olympic hopeful has held up his end of the bargain, scoring 306 points in 321 games since the start of the 2021-22 season, but Buffalo's losing ways have continued.
So, as speculation ramps up about the future of the Sabres' front office and coaching staff, Thompson may be forced to ask himself whether he's prepared to remain loyal to the Blue and Gold through what could be at least a mini rebuild.
It's no surprise Buffalo has no interest in moving one of the NHL's most unique offensive talents but, as Friedman points out, the dynamic forward could force the team's hand.
For now, the Sabres will hope they're able to turn the current campaign around and get back in the playoff conversation to put the trade discourse in the rear-view mirror.