Tage Thompson is a future star

[mcy35]

despite all my tage, I’m still just a rat in a cage!

 

[Digable5]

despite all my tage, I’m still just a rat in a cage!

Despite all this Tage, there are still lots of rats on this page.

 

[Tofveve]

He's blowing my mind currently, but if I had a minor critique/wish of Tage it'd be that he got a little bit more breadth/width/size to him. He reminds me a lot of Lemieux but Mario had little broader shoulders/width. Obviously his height likely makes him look skinnier. But again I'd like another 10 lbs of beef on his shoulders. Obviously it's been such a short meteoric rise I don't want to see this disappoint at all. I don't know if I expect him to be someone that is a perennial 50 goal guy but heck a handful of 40+ years would be amazing still. He obviously has put a lot on himself to become an all-star, I'm just quietly hoping he doesn't let up. It's been a long time since I've been this excited about a player not on my team.

Absolutely. Dahlin is playing better than I've ever seen him right now. I think it's a given that he'll get the C next year. The guy is quietly nearing pace for a 100 pt season while playing excellent defense and really letting his nasty streak emerge. I like Tage but the Sabres go as Dahlin goes.

That's how weird this is right now. Dahlin is looking like that most skilled Swede of all time. And I know that's crazy talk with guys like Lidstrom and Forsberg and many others looking on. But Dahlin's ability is just off the charts.

 

[Ace]

2 goals behind McDavid.

4 games in hand.

He’s scoring goals at a higher per game rate.

 

[Ace]

 

[tsujimoto74]

That’s not bad company.

 

[Ace]

I didn’t even know Bure was from Arizona

 

[mjd1001]

IF Buffalo makes the playoffs, AND....
IF Edmonton misses the playoffs, AND...
IF Thompson keeps the same goal/point gap to McDavid as it is now or closes it.....

IF all of those things happen you might see Tage Thompson as an MVP candidate/winner.

But those are a lot of "IFs" that will take some doing to all happen.

 

[BKarchitect]

Love Tage. Would have second in MVP voting.

Think the per minute extrapolations are overblown. There’s a reason McDavid and a few of the other acknowledged superstars play 21-22+ minutes a night. You can’t simply add workload to TT and say “well now he will score even this many more points”.

It’s perfectly fair to say he’s absolutely been a Hart finalist this year so far while also saying he’s got much left to prove to be in the Drai/MacK/Matthews tier. Not saying he can’t or won’t but trophy voting and actually ranking players based on overall profile are two different things. TT’s “form” to use soccer/football parlance is undeniable. He’s got a bit of work left to truly be in the superstar of superstar tier though IMO. But I think he’s capable…he’s a unicorn from a physical standpoint.

 

[Sabresfansince1980]

He's blowing my mind currently, but if I had a minor critique/wish of Tage it'd be that he got a little bit more breadth/width/size to him. He reminds me a lot of Lemieux but Mario had little broader shoulders/width. Obviously his height likely makes him look skinnier. But again I'd like another 10 lbs of beef on his shoulders. Obviously it's been such a short meteoric rise I don't want to see this disappoint at all. I don't know if I expect him to be someone that is a perennial 50 goal guy but heck a handful of 40+ years would be amazing still. He obviously has put a lot on himself to become an all-star, I'm just quietly hoping he doesn't let up. It's been a long time since I've been this excited about a player not on my team.



That's how weird this is right now. Dahlin is looking like that most skilled Swede of all time. And I know that's crazy talk with guys like Lidstrom and Forsberg and many others looking on. But Dahlin's ability is just off the charts.

He's mentioned about working to put on another 8 lbs. Once that happens it might not add pts to his stats, but still make him even harder to deal with in puck battles or around the slot.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

That's how weird this is right now. Dahlin is looking like that most skilled Swede of all time. And I know that's crazy talk with guys like Lidstrom and Forsberg and many others looking on. But Dahlin's ability is just off the charts.

That’s crazy to say when he doesn’t even look better than EK who is still in the league. Incredibly skilled young defenseman though.

 

[Sabresruletheschool]

That’s crazy to say when he doesn’t even look better than EK who is still in the league. Incredibly skilled young defenseman though.

What? He's just as good offensively, and he's three times the player in his own end. I wouldn't trade a 22 year old Dahlin for a 22 year old EK ever.

 

[AlexGretzchenvid]

He's blowing my mind currently, but if I had a minor critique/wish of Tage it'd be that he got a little bit more breadth/width/size to him. He reminds me a lot of Lemieux but Mario had little broader shoulders/width. Obviously his height likely makes him look skinnier. But again I'd like another 10 lbs of beef on his shoulders. Obviously it's been such a short meteoric rise I don't want to see this disappoint at all. I don't know if I expect him to be someone that is a perennial 50 goal guy but heck a handful of 40+ years would be amazing still. He obviously has put a lot on himself to become an all-star, I'm just quietly hoping he doesn't let up. It's been a long time since I've been this excited about a player not on my team.



That's how weird this is right now. Dahlin is looking like that most skilled Swede of all time. And I know that's crazy talk with guys like Lidstrom and Forsberg and many others looking on. But Dahlin's ability is just off the charts.

Oh stop , todays hockey players are so far advance from the ones of Gretzky Lemieux.. those guys don’t put up the same points in this era ever.

My David would easily get Gretzky record if he played in that era you kidding me he would go up ice and score at will each shift.

 

[Sabresruletheschool]

Oh stop , todays hockey players are so far advance from the ones of Gretzky Lemieux.. those guys don’t put up the same points in this era ever.

My David would easily get Gretzky record if he played in that era you kidding me he would go up ice and score at will each shift.

I have to agree. The game has evolved and goalies have probably evolved the most. I couldn't imagine the point totals if there were playing against stand up goalies.

 

[MacMacandBarbie]

What? He's just as good offensively, and he's three times the player in his own end. I wouldn't trade a 22 year old Dahlin for a 22 year old EK ever.

EK finished top 5 in scoring league wide in his prime. Dahlin hasn’t come close to that.

 

[Tofveve]

He's mentioned about working to put on another 8 lbs. Once that happens it might not add pts to his stats, but still make him even harder to deal with in puck battles or around the slot.

That would be ideal to me. Sounds like he and the people around him are right on top of it, good to hear.

 

[Satanphonehome]

McDavid is the MVP at the season’s mid-point, no question at all.

But if the Sabres make the playoffs and the Oilers miss does that change the conversation at all?

Tage is having a year that is every bit as good as Matthews Hart Trophy run last year. I don‘t think that’s really debatable.

 

[Tofveve]

That’s crazy to say when he doesn’t even look better than EK who is still in the league. Incredibly skilled young defenseman though.

I looks phenomenal that's all I know. He comes across more dominant than any Swede I've watched except for Forsberg where it's up in the air to me at this point.

 

[Tofveve]

What? He's just as good offensively, and he's three times the player in hi88s own end. I wouldn't trade a 22 year old Dahlin for a 22 year old EK ever.

I'm in your camp man. I'm at the point of thinking he's looking to be nearly or on Makar's level. I know that's almost considered blasphemy by some to consider such a thing, but if Dahiln keeps doing what he's doing there's bound to be who'd you rather have threads or who will end up with a better career threads (if there aren't already).

 

[Sabresruletheschool]

EK finished top 5 in scoring league wide in his prime. Dahlin hasn’t come close to that.

Dahlin is just starting his career. He's only 22.

 

[Beerz]

EK finished top 5 in scoring league wide in his prime. Dahlin hasn’t come close to that.

Let's see Dahlin in his prime.

 

[Daz28]

I guess this dispels the myth that Gretz wasn't a streaky scorer? How do you do 50 in 39, but not 30 in 30???

 

[Faceboner]

I guess this dispels the myth that Gretz wasn't a streaky scorer? How do you do 50 in 39, but not 30 in 30???

Cutoff is the century mark

 

[Daz28]

Cutoff is the century mark

Ah, the way it was capitalized, I took it as IN a century. There was really no need for them to try to equate in 23 years to a century. lol

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

He's mentioned about working to put on another 8 lbs. Once that happens it might not add pts to his stats, but still make him even harder to deal with in puck battles or around the slot.

I just like how specific that is- not 10 pounds, nah, friggin 8. Like he talked to the trainers and they’ve decided that’s peak for Tage.

But ya, if there’s any room for growth- he doesn’t really drop the shoulder and bull rush guys. He absolutely could. Doesn’t have to, clearly he’s doing good with what he does, but I think you also see him slowly adding to his game, and he knows a bit more size could be beneficial.