The noise had to have been loud in 2019. As Ryan O'Reilly was hoisting the Stanley Cup with the St. Louis Blues, Tage Thompson was at home still working with breaking the playoff drought for the Buffalo Sabres.
He was traded from the Blues to the Sabres as part of the O'Reilly trade and the negative comments about his play were strong.
Fast forward to 2026. Thompson has had a remarkable season getting the Sabres back into the playoffs. He has been able to help lead the team back to a far-off goal and, at times, put the team on his back.
That stellar play has not translated into the postseason as much as Thompson nor the team would like. Currently they are facing elimination in the second round of the playoffs down 3-2 against the Montreal Canadiens.
In the first give games of the series, Tage Thompson owns a minus-9 rating for the Sabres
That is just simply not good enough for a player who scored over 80 points during the regular season. It is surprising give the entirety of the past calendar year for Thompson.
In addition to his prolific play as a Sabre, he has been an important part of Team USA. In the 2025 IIHF World Championship he scored the game-winning goal in the Gold Medal Game. That led to his spot on the team during the Winter Olympics in Italy.
During an Olympic tournament that saw Team USA get the gold medal for the first time since 1980, Thompson had two goals.
The past year proves he can come through in various stages for the team he is representing on the ice. Now with the Sabres one game away from elimination, he needs to come through yet again.
He needs to find better ways to generate both shots for himself and for the players on the ice that are around him. If the defense focuses more on Thompson, it should leave a better angle for someone else to take a shot.
Thompson scored the first two goals of the playoffs against the Boston Bruins. It was those two goals that was the jolt the Sabres and their fans needed to start off a remarkable opening series.
Now, he has to find that moment and give the team the same jolt against the Canadiens. He can finally put to rest any doubts of the trade for O'Reilly seven years ago if he can. He will have that chance to do it in Game 6.
Add us as a preferred source on Google