The Buffalo Sabres have sank to the bottom of the Eastern Conference, a common home for the organization amid its 14-year playoff drought, and now opposing NHL teams are apparently starting to reach out to see if the team is going to trade its most valuable assets.
One Sabres superstar is apparently the focus of that attention: winger Tage Thompson.
RG's Marco D'Amico reported Wednesday the Montreal Canadiens and Vancouver Canucks contacted Buffalo general manager Kevyn Adams to "inquire about the direction the Sabres plan to take with their star forward."
"According to a well-placed source, Adams' response has been consistent: 'Not available at this time,'" D'Amico wrote.
Thompson is in the third season of a seven-year, $50 million contract that runs through the 2029-30 campaign. He's recorded 12 points (six goals and six assists) in 15 games this season.
Trading Tage Thompson would mark the start of a scorched-earth rebuild for the Buffalo Sabres
It's a frustrating reality for Sabres fans that it's only mid-November and the season already feels like it's slipping away. Just last year, Buffalo endured a 13-game losing streak beginning in November that destroyed its 2024-25 campaign before Christmas.
Yes, the Blue and Gold have been struck by unimaginably bad injury luck and the underlying numbers suggest they're slightly more competitive than their current place in the standings, but hope of making the postseason for the first time in 2011 is nevertheless fading.
If the Sabres don't turn things around soon, two key questions will take center stage.
First, will team owner Terry Pegula allow Adams to lead another reconstruction of the roster as he's failed to turn things around in the sixth year of his tenure?
Rumors have emerged that former Toronto Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan would consider taking charge of the Sabres front office under the right conditions. The Sabres also have former Columbus Blue Jackets general manager Jarmo Kekalainen on staff.
Second, if the Sabres do decide to dismantle the roster, are they going to make franchise pillars like Thompson and defenseman Rasmus Dahlin available for trade?
It's a tough question because the Buffalo fanbase, which is one of the best in hockey, has already started to dwindle amid the endless losing. For a team that already sits near the bottom of NHL attendance, another extended retooling process would take a financial toll.
Moving Thompson, a two-time 40-goal scorer, would also represent a significant setback for an offense that's already struggling mightily in the early stages of this season.
Ultimately, the Sabres may have no choice but to redo the entire roster once again. The current core doesn't appear capable of seriously contending and the organization's farm system isn't littered with future game-changers despite always picking in the lottery.
The final decision about what direction to go probably isn't imminent. Buffalo will probably wait until closer to the trade deadline in March to decide whether to engage on a massive sell off.
That said, the fact it's already part of the conversation is not what the Sabres, or their fans, expected when the 2025-26 campaign began with some renewed optimism.