The Buffalo Sabres have seemingly answered one of their big questions from the offseason already, but it remains to be seen if it is the right decision. Ahead of training camp, Lindy Ruff met with the media and confirmed that Tage Thompson would begin camp at center.
The Sabres head coach was asked whether or not he plots out lines and where players might play. It was noted that the Sabres have several players who can play either wing or center, and Ruff confirmed that he tries to have an idea going into camp, and was one of the reasons he announced Thompson at center.
"You always plot it out," Ruff said. "Does it change during camp? It possibly will, but we would like to start [Thompson] at center."
He did go on to note that Thompson won't be exclusively a center and they could move him to wing at times, even in the middle of games, but at camp, he will be at center.
This versatility is something that Ruff has spoken about in the past and even views it as a strength of the roster. The Sabres right now have players like Thompson, Noah Ostlund, Konsta Helenius, Peyton Krebs, and Jiri Kulich who could play inside at center or on the wing. This is not even mentioning players like Josh Norris, Ryan McLeod, and Sam Carrick, who have extensive time at center.
What could the Buffalo Sabres top line look like with Tage Thompson at center?
The Sabres' announcement that Thompson will be at center has a domino effect on the rest of the lines. It starts with who might be the two wings on either side of Thompson, especially with Alex Tuch no longer on the team.
Fans should get that answer fairly early in camp, but the best guess would be Zach Benson and Josh Doan. If those are the two wings, then the Sabres likely go with veterans at center, with Josh Norris probably on the second line and Ryan McLeod on the third line.
By going this route, the Sabres can then let the younger players like Ostlund, Helenius, Quinn, and Kulich play on as the wings for those two lines.
It is one of the first big decisions for the Sabres that will be scrutinized depending on how the season goes. During the playoffs, it looked like Thompson was a little gassed, and as a center, there is a lot more expected of that player, as they have to skate the full length of the ice.
Prior to Ruff, general manager Jarmo Kekalainen talked about the responsibilities of a center, and this was something he highlighted.
"I think he had a lot of success and the team had a lot of success when he played center. He's obviously a play driver that can really drive our offense but it's also a demanding job playing center and he's a big man. So it takes a lot more energy to play center with the minutes that he gets every game."
This is certainly an interesting storyline to watch for the Buffalo Sabres this season to see if Tage Thompson stays at center and how he looks down the stretch and hopefully in the playoffs.
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