Tage Thompson admits mixed feelings about contract amid NHL's rising cap

Tage Thompson will make a $7.1 million salary this year as part of a contract with the Buffalo Sabres that runs through the 2029-30 NHL season. He'd probably be making double that amount if he would have signed during the league's current player value explosion.

Thompson told Mark Lazerus of The Athletic he's "blessed" and doesn't regret the decision to sign the extension in August 2022, but he also discussed the realities of the NHL's rising salary cap.

"Yeah, I think there are guys that wish they would have held out a little bit. Am I one of those guys? Yeah, obviously you would have liked to sign a big ticket and get as much money as humanly possible," the 28-year-old forward said. "But you're still talking about [a lot of money]."

Thompson is also a unique case.

The 6-foot-6 Sabres cornerstone was a late, sudden bloomer. He'd recorded just 35 points (18 goals and 17 assists) in 145 appearances across his first four NHL seasons with the Sabres and St. Louis Blues, who'd selected him in the first round of the 2016 draft.

Some analysts even raised questions about why Buffalo bothered to protect the UConn product in the league's 2021 expansion draft.

Then a switch flipped and Thompson emerged as one of the NHL's most dangerous scorers. He's posted 375 points (200 goals and 175 assists) in 387 games since the start of the 2021-22 campaign, highlighted by a trio of 40-goal seasons.

ESPN recently ranked him as the league's 31st-best player, and that equates to an extremely team-friendly contract for the Sabres with the top salary for 2026-27 now checking in at $18 million (Anaheim Ducks center Leo Carlsson).

That said, Thompson also understands there were no guarantees about what came next after Buffalo re-signed him four years ago.

"It's tough to gauge where the cap's going to go, and honestly, where your career's going to go, right?" Thompson told Lazerus. "It's unpredictable. And when you're staring that much money in the face — you're talking life-changing money. So what's another million, 2 million a year? It's a lot, obviously. But you're not going to turn down something that locks you in for not only financial stability, but stability with your family, being in one place."

His lower cap hit has also helped allow the Sabres to re-sign several young players, including Zach Benson, Josh Doan, Noah Ostlund, Peyton Krebs and Louis Crevier, to long-term extensions since the NHL's cap began to explode.

Meanwhile, Thompson is off to another strong start with two goals and two helpers across the team's first three games of the new campaign.

Will Tage Thompson get another chance to cash in?

The Arizona native will be 32 by the time he's eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in 2030 — Buffalo will likely attempt to re-sign him long before he can hit the open market — which leaves some uncertainty about what type of contract he'll command.

Barring a significant drop off in performance, teams will surely be ready to give the Team USA Olympic gold medalist a high-dollar deal, but they'll probably be cautious about a long-term agreement.

The Sabres front office, currently led by Jarmo Kekalainen (Kevyn Adams signed Tage's prior deal), already walked away from a similar situation this summer when it sent Alex Tuch to the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade deal rather than sign him until he's 38.

Thompson is a more established piece of Buffalo's foundation, working alongside captain Rasmus Dahlin to carry the club out of its record-setting playoff drought, and the organization doesn't currently have another elite goal scorer in the same mold. (Benson and Doan are two-way wingers capable of growing into Tuch's role eventually.)

He's not a perfect player. His defensive impacts are questionable and he's struggled in the faceoff circle when asked to play center, which has often been the case because the organization has been unable to find a true No. 1 centerman via trade or free agency since the departure of Jack Eichel. Yet, an eventual full-time move to the wing would further bolster his value.

So, the Blue and Gold may be a little more willing to pony up for Thompson, even if it means paying him top dollar until his late-30s.

A lot can change over the next four years, however, both related to his own play and whether any of the Sabres' rising stars can emerge as a primary goal-scoring threat.

It'll be an interesting storyline to follow as his contract moves closer to expiry. For now, the Sabres are hoping for another monster season from the alternate captain.

Add us as a preferred source on Google

Follow