Tage Thompson's ceiling

[Brian39]

38 goals and 68 points was a hell of a season and they still have 3 more years of team control before he has UFA eligibility. If he has another year of top line production this year, they should be in great shape to get him extended next summer at a number both sides can live with.

The bolded portion of my comment underscores why I don't like this extension. I don't like the extension at all given the amount of time they had before they were truly at risk of losing him. I hope he can continue last season's success and prove that he deserves this contract, but I think this was an unnecessary risk.

I assume that they were more concerned about him forcing his way to UFA and walking in the summer of 2025 if he didn't get a long term deal ASAP, but I don't think the actual risk of that is enough to take this kind of gamble. They clearly love his game and believe that moving him to center unlocked his NHL potential. If I were them, I'd have still told his agent that he needed to give us a 2 month proof of concept that last year wasn't a fluke before offering this kind of contract. I think the agent would have been bluffing if he said his client wouldn't be willing to accept $50M in December. If he truly wasn't willing to consider a long term $50M extension in December (2.5 years before UFA eligibility), then I don't like the chances that he makes it through the deal without requesting a trade.

I won't be shocked if he winds up being worth this deal and it might even age very well. But I don't like the risk and I think that they could have gotten a deal done at a very similar money a few months (or even a year) down the line if he has another great season.

 

[Ranksu]

If TT becomes regular 60-70 point player than we all were wrong about him.

 

[stl76]

Some slight differences in that the Sabres already know TT instead of bringing in someone new. And the Sabres have already seen a season+ of TT playing at center before giving him the contract.

Darcy Regier overpaid a winger with the notion of converting him to a 1C.

GMKA is paying for an established 1C.

Is he really established tho?

No doubt Tage “Tommy Gun” Thompson is a unicorn of a player so I get wanting to lock him up long term, and honesty I think this contract will ultimately age well...but it still seems like there is some serious risk here and a small sample size for a 7 year contract.

 

[Bobby Bottle Service]

Is he really established tho?

No doubt Tage “Tommy Gun” Thompson is a unicorn of a player so I get wanting to lock him up long term, and honesty I think this contract will ultimately age well...but it still seems like there is some serious risk here and a small sample size for a 7 year contract.

Fair enough, established may not be an accurate description.

 

[sabremike]

Is he really established tho?

No doubt Tage “Tommy Gun” Thompson is a unicorn of a player so I get wanting to lock him up long term, and honesty I think this contract will ultimately age well...but it still seems like there is some serious risk here and a small sample size for a 7 year contract.

Sir he is not a unicorn he is an omnipotent all powerful giraffe deity:

 

[STL fan in MN]

Sir he is not a unicorn he is an omnipotent all powerful giraffe deity:
View attachment 580764

I’m with you on the giraffe thing but I’m thinking more like this…

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Sir he is not a unicorn he is an omnipotent all powerful giraffe deity:
View attachment 580764

Blessed are the cheese makers!

BTW, I've pretty much always been a Sabres fan.

 

[Oberyn]

Good for Tage to secure the bag, I actually think the contract will work out for Buffalo. He showed a lot of progression last year and his shot is still absolutely lethal.

 

[stl76]

Sir he is not a unicorn he is an omnipotent all powerful giraffe deity:
View attachment 580764

 

[BlueSeal]

If TT becomes regular 60-70 point player than we all were wrong about him.

We got a Cup and broke the Curse. TT can be the next Gretzky for all I care after that. Best of everything for him.

 

[TheDizee]

i truly believe that contract is gonna be a trainwreck as soon as this year

 

[STL fan in MN]

i truly believe that contract is gonna be a trainwreck as soon as this year

His contract doesn’t even start this season. The Sabres will be paying him only $1.4M this season.

 

[bluesXwinXtheXcup]

His contract doesn’t even start this season. The Sabres will be paying him only $1.4M this season.

Just think of it as one of his prophecies...

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Just think of it as one of his prophecies...

Blessed are things that make me dizzy!

 

[EastonBlues22]

Still think Tage is not a center?

He's never been a center....lol

At the time he hadn't been, and when the Blues tried him there he sure didn't look like he was ready to handle the position the way they wanted him to. Four years later, things have certainly changed...although, to be fair, what Buffalo expected of Tage at the position and what the Blues expected of Tage likely aren't exactly the same. I was never making any claims about what he would be doing years down the road in that post.

All that said, it's no secret that I wasn't a fan of the Blues drafting him, and I'm comfortable saying that he's already had a far better season than I ever thought he would have in the league. Not the first thing I've been wrong about, and it certainly won't be the last.

To be fair, you can probably say that to some degree about almost everyone, though, including the Blues themselves. Or did I just miss all those posts projecting him as a future 40 goal/70 point center after his first season with the Blues? Even people super high on him as a prospect weren't touting him as that.

 

[bluesXwinXtheXcup]

At the time he hadn't been, and when the Blues tried him there he sure didn't look like he was ready to handle the position the way they wanted him to. Four years later, things have certainly changed...although, to be fair, what Buffalo expected of Tage at the position and what the Blues expected of Tage likely aren't exactly the same. I was never making any claims about what he would be doing years down the road in that post.

All that said, it's no secret that I wasn't a fan of the Blues drafting him, and I'm comfortable saying that he's already had a far better season than I ever thought he would have in the league. Not the first thing I've been wrong about, and it certainly won't be the last.

To be fair, you can probably say that to some degree about almost everyone, though, including the Blues themselves. Or did I just miss all those posts projecting him as a future 40 goal/70 point center after his first season with the Blues? Even people super high on him as a prospect weren't touting him as that.

Wow.

You were wrong and still want to defend it.

He was a center throughout his youth. Was projected as a center. Played as a center for the Blues. Now is a star center.

I can only laugh.

 

[EastonBlues22]

Wow.

You were wrong and still want to defend it.

He was a center throughout his youth. Was projected as a center. Played as a center for the Blues. Now is a star center.

I can only laugh.

Defend what? I already said I was wrong about him.

I watched him in college, which is likely more than you did. He took some draws, but he definitely wasn't a full time center. He played RW most of time in college alongside Max Letunov, who played center. So he obviously didn't "play center throughout his youth." That's not "defending" anything. That's just a fact...which, not surprisingly, you seem to be completely unaware of.

Feel free to look it up if you don't believe me.

 

[bluesXwinXtheXcup]

Defend what? I already said I was wrong about him.

I watched him in college, which is likely more than you did. He took some draws, but he definitely wasn't a full time center. He played RW most of time in college alongside Max Letunov, who played center. So he obviously didn't "play center throughout his youth." That's not "defending" anything. That's just a fact...which, not surprisingly, you seem to be completely unaware of.

Feel free to look it up if you don't believe me.

Ok. Sorry for pushing your buttons.

 

[Pizza!Pizza!]

Good for Tage turning things around. Blues still won that trade handedly regardless of what happens going forward. Besides, would he have developed the same if left in the Blues system? Less playing time, more pressure - even the fact that he was traded might have lit a fire under him to put in more effort. Hopefully he keeps being an asset for Buffalo because Lord knows they need all the help they can get.

 

[Vladys Gumption]

Ok. Sorry for pushing your buttons.

What are you talking about? Easton quite literally said in his post that he was wrong. And all he did was lay out his opinions about Tage *at the time he was drafted*.

The dude literally has never played an effective center until this past season.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

What are you talking about? Easton quite literally said in his post that he was wrong. And all he did was lay out his opinions about Tage *at the time he was drafted*.

The dude literally has never played an effective center until this past season.

Brain damage?

 

[sabremike]

 

[ezcreepin]

At the time he hadn't been, and when the Blues tried him there he sure didn't look like he was ready to handle the position the way they wanted him to. Four years later, things have certainly changed...although, to be fair, what Buffalo expected of Tage at the position and what the Blues expected of Tage likely aren't exactly the same. I was never making any claims about what he would be doing years down the road in that post.

All that said, it's no secret that I wasn't a fan of the Blues drafting him, and I'm comfortable saying that he's already had a far better season than I ever thought he would have in the league. Not the first thing I've been wrong about, and it certainly won't be the last.

To be fair, you can probably say that to some degree about almost everyone, though, including the Blues themselves. Or did I just miss all those posts projecting him as a future 40 goal/70 point center after his first season with the Blues? Even people super high on him as a prospect weren't touting him as that.

Obviously a month late on this, but agree with Easton here. We all knew he had major talent which is why he was successful in the AHL, we all knew he had an amazing shot, but he was never the type of bruiser like Chara was given his height. I think the consensus around here was that if he scores 20 goals in the NHL regularly, then that would be a good career for him, but this past season he had was something I don't think anyone expected. I think that max people expected him to score was 30, so he's definitely outperformed what we all expected him to be.

 

[ChicagoBlues]

Obviously a month late on this, but agree with Easton here. We all knew he had major talent which is why he was successful in the AHL, we all knew he had an amazing shot, but he was never the type of bruiser like Chara was given his height. I think the consensus around here was that if he scores 20 goals in the NHL regularly, then that would be a good career for him, but this past season he had was something I don't think anyone expected. I think that max people expected him to score was 30, so he's definitely outperformed what we all expected him to be.

I thought Tage Thompson was gonna be a dud. I guess I'm wrong. oopsy

Whether he can maintain last season's scoring rate is to be known, but a dud he is not.

 

[Xerloris]

I thought Tage Thompson was gonna be a dud. I guess I'm wrong. oopsy

Whether he can maintain last season's scoring rate is to be known, but a dud he is not.

There's still time for him to b a dud!