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Player Discussion Tage Thompson 2

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https://www.expectedbuffalo.com/buffalo-sabres-expected-development-tage-thompson/

2021-22 Objective

The best way Thompson can take the “next step” and solidify his NHL future is by becoming a better shooter, positionally speaking. His lack of speed will always hurt him in the transition game, but great shooters are always valued in the league.

This objective isn’t as simple as I’m making it sound. To become a better positional shooter, a forward must also do a good job of handling the puck in high-danger, high-traffic areas. Despite his signature toe-drag move that yields positive results one out of every 100 tries (hyperbole, of course), this is an area where Thompson has traditionally struggled. For someone his size, he loses control of the puck with amazing ease.

Simply put, he needs to stop moving around like a 5-foot-8 guy who woke up that morning as a 6-foot-7 pterodactyl who has no idea how to control his new body. Otherwise, he’ll always be a guy who shoots a lot but generates very little, and those players just don’t last.

For a team that has very few scoring threats on the right side, the Sabres sure could use another effective shooter. There are very few players on the roster standing in his way in terms of ice time, so he’ll get his chance.
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TehDoak said:
The article is probably a bit overly positive (the author says as much).

The gist is:

Bad defensive impact
Minimal Offensive impacts
Volume shooter from low % areas.
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Positive?!? If you thought that was a positive article about Tage I'm at a loss for words.

The entire theme of the article was "I think Tage Thompson is terrible but I'm going to dig out some really obscure microstats where he wasn't completely terrible, but I still think this guy really sucks at hockey"

You don't need the advanced stat analysis with Tage, anyone that watched him knows it's simple - when he played a simple game he was effective as a volume shooter and his reach created problems on opposing breakouts. He brings decent elements as a middle 6 complimentary winger, the problem is he hasn't played a simple game consistently enough. He defaults to a perimeter player way too often and doesn't use his size to his advantage.

Also, I think his defensive issues in his own end are way overstated, the analytics are shitty because he played on a dogshit team. He certainly didn't stand out as good like Asplund, but he wasn't the black hole that the artcile described either.
 
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Fezzy126 said:
Positive?!? If you thought that was a positive article about Tage I'm at a loss for words.

The entire theme of the article was "I think Tage Thompson is terrible but I'm going to dig out some really obscure microstats where he wasn't completely terrible, but I still think this guy really sucks at hockey"

You don't need the advanced stat analysis with Tage, anyone that watched him knows it's simple - when he played a simple game he was effective as a volume shooter and his reach created problems on opposing breakouts. He brings decent elements as a middle 6 complimentary winger, the problem is he hasn't played a simple game consistently enough. He defaults to a perimeter player way too often and doesn't use his size to his advantage.

Also, I think his defensive issues in his own end are way overstated, the analytics are shitty because he played on a dogshit team. He certainly didn't stand out as good like Asplund, but he wasn't the black hole that the artcile described either.
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If only they could fuse Thompson's skating and reach with Murray's willingness to work the walls and crease...
 
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Fezzy126 said:
Positive?!? If you thought that was a positive article about Tage I'm at a loss for words.

The entire theme of the article was "I think Tage Thompson is terrible but I'm going to dig out some really obscure microstats where he wasn't completely terrible, but I still think this guy really sucks at hockey"

You don't need the advanced stat analysis with Tage, anyone that watched him knows it's simple - when he played a simple game he was effective as a volume shooter and his reach created problems on opposing breakouts. He brings decent elements as a middle 6 complimentary winger, the problem is he hasn't played a simple game consistently enough. He defaults to a perimeter player way too often and doesn't use his size to his advantage.

Also, I think his defensive issues in his own end are way overstated, the analytics are shitty because he played on a dogshit team. He certainly didn't stand out as good like Asplund, but he wasn't the black hole that the artcile described either.
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You don't need advanced stats with him because you just need to see how many times possession in his own zone dies on his stick. It was really amplified when Krueger forced him on Eichel/Hall's line and they'd gain the zone, cycle the puck, pass it to tage....he'd either turn it over or make a bad pass to kill the zone time.

This certainly isn't eye test vs Analytics thing....both say the same thing. He's not good.

He needs to make big changes to how he plays to be in the NHL. His hockey sense is almost non existent. He doesn't use his size to his advantage. He's good at skating and puck handling. His shot is underwhelming and while I think you are right his defensive impacts were overstated a bit, he's a healthy scratch/4th line winger on any team with decent depth. He'll probably be our top line RW because, to be frank, we aren't rolling out a NHL level forward group this year.
 
Fezzy126 said:
Not to derail a Tage thread, but I'm really looking forward to seeing Murray in camp
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It's interesting to see who they're trying to make two different skillset larger players into so-called power forwards. Tage still falls back on dangles and as you said, when he gets away from keeping it simple, it burns him and his line. The number of times simply putting the puck deep from inside the offensive blueline and then going after it is the play and instead he posts up and tries to stickhandle while stopped.... :facepalm:
 
Chainshot said:
It's interesting to see who they're trying to make two different skillset larger players into so-called power forwards. Tage still falls back on dangles and as you said, when he gets away from keeping it simple, it burns him and his line. The number of times simply putting the puck deep from inside the offensive blueline and then going after it is the play and instead he posts up and tries to stickhandle while stopped.... :facepalm:
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He started getting better about this stuff in the last weeks under Granato. He still needs to keep cleaning it up though.

They should just view him as a skill guy who happens to be big. Playing physical with an edge is more about mindset than physical attributes.
 
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joshjull said:
He started getting better about this stuff in the last weeks under Granato. He still needs to keep cleaning it up though.

They should just view him as a skill guy who happens to be big. Playing physical with an edge is more about mindset than physical attributes.
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Yeah, he's not a mean player by nature. It's the "go to these areas and use your size to outlast someone else" plays that Murray, with his lack of footspeed and pedigree, seems to understand and Thompson does not. Thompson still plays like he's able to break people down one-on-one with the puck and that just isn't happening at this level.

I admit, I didn't watch all of him down the stretch up to the injury but the curls still drive me nuts which might be why they stand out. :D
 
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I thought I remember his shot being a strength when he first came over. Maybe he just doesn't get it off enough to showcase it.
 
muhmuhMatt said:
I thought I remember his shot being a strength when he first came over. Maybe he just doesn't get it off enough to showcase it.
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He can bomb the one-timer from the high slot like he did in college. Sadly, it seems teams know this is coming and he doesn't have the overall game to be a PP guy (well... maybe he will this season since the roster has gotten really, really light on skill players).
 
Is Asplund/Mitts/Thompson the new Foligno/Ennis/Stafford? Im looking forward to see if Thompson can take the next step, all we can do is hope he has the linemates to best help him succeed. He is signed for 2 years so ... trust the process. He is tall and likeable and gives Owen Powers someone to look up to. Optimism.
 
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elchud said:
Is Asplund/Mitts/Thompson the new Foligno/Ennis/Stafford? Im looking forward to see if Thompson can take the next step, all we can do is hope he has the linemates to best help him succeed. He is signed for 2 years so ... trust the process. He is tall and likeable and gives Owen Powers someone to look up to. Optimism.
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Don’t we have to find out if they’re a line again first?
 
elchud said:
Is Asplund/Mitts/Thompson the new Foligno/Ennis/Stafford? Im looking forward to see if Thompson can take the next step, all we can do is hope he has the linemates to best help him succeed. He is signed for 2 years so ... trust the process. He is tall and likeable and gives Owen Powers someone to look up to. Optimism.
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Except the FES line was really good.
 
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