Tage Thompson: what's the deal?

[GASabresIUFAN]

9 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I won't comment on the trade and whether Tage was "targeted."  Let's go to the beginning of the season though, when we all thought Nylander would make the big club and TT would be sent down.  I'm thinking that JBot and HCPH looked at the two of them and perhaps decided that while Nylander may be the better player, Tage Thompson was closer to being a legit NHLer.  We've focused on him and pointed out why he shouldn't be on the team, but now.... here he is with a modest two-game goal streak.  He seems to be meshing with Sobotka and Reinhart.  Maybe JBot and Housley saw things we didn't see.

Housley had said that Tage has been coming on for the last few weeks which is why he's playing recently.  2 goals in the last 2 games and much better play.  This is why they coach and manage the team and we comment for the cheap seats.

[Doohickie]

It still baffles me that they would play him over ERod though.  ERod drives the play; Tage isn't awful but he's at best a supporting cast member.

Hard to argue with success I guess.

[GrassValleyGreg]

11 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

It still baffles me that they would play him over ERod though.  ERod drives the play; Tage isn't awful but he's at best a supporting cast member.

Hard to argue with success I guess.

 

Its their development plan for one of our top prospects, which includes variables beyond advanced metrics (e.g. Tage's confidence, his adjustment to NHL speed, etc.). Sometimes The Plan will outweigh optimal lineup. It's a calculated sacrifice for sure, but you'll just have to trust the player/human level assessment from the kid's head coach and GM or else you'll drive yourself crazy. Definitely an easier decision to make when winning.

[bob_sauve28]

6 hours ago, GrassValleyGreg said:

 

Its their development plan for one of our top prospects, which includes variables beyond advanced metrics (e.g. Tage's confidence, his adjustment to NHL speed, etc.). Sometimes The Plan will outweigh optimal lineup. It's a calculated sacrifice for sure, but you'll just have to trust the player/human level assessment from the kid's head coach and GM or else you'll drive yourself crazy. Definitely an easier decision to make when winning.

They must see a huge upside in the kid. Great shot, great reach, decent skating and the potential to be much, much stronger. Nice to see him score two real nice skill goals these last two games. 

[Weave]

It used to be commonly said that power forwards were second only to defencemen in terms of how long it took to fully develop.  May be the case here and the team feels he'll best finish his development practicing with the NHL team.

He looked fairly dominant in preseason.  I suspect JBotts feels there is no point in having him continue to dominate in a lower league.

[Randall Flagg]

7 hours ago, Doohickie said:

It still baffles me that they would play him over ERod though.  ERod drives the play; Tage isn't awful but he's at best a supporting cast member.

Hard to argue with success I guess.

Not really, unless you think that literally everything is going perfectly and that's why you're winning! 

Though I guess it's kinda hard to bring up things you don't like on a message board when teams are doing well. People don't really like it. 

I'm fine with playing Tage when one forward is injured, but even if he plays every game as well as he played the last two, he's the 13th best forward up on the big club right now and I'd like to see Berglund play in his spot. Another Tage line spent less than 25% of the time in the o-zone last night. That's just not gonna work long-term. But since I didn't see the game in a "thinking" mood, and thought he looked fine from what I could see, I won't be too hard on him in a game where he got a big goal. If the guy can keep this up for another two weeks, then he belongs. I wonder what kind of drills they do to simulate/work on board battles. I think he needs to do those drills about a million times. 

 

[Taro T]

It'll be interesting to see what happens when Wilson is ready.  I'm expecting he starts with a conditioning assignment in Ra-cha-cha (pretty sure he's eligible for 1, if not, nevermind).

Was sure 2 weeks ago that Thompson would then go down after that was done, but now expect them to see if Wilson (60%) or Elie (40%) clear.  Wilson's salary might keep him from getting poached, Elie will get poached by Dallas; is the reason I'd expect Wilson to go.

Of course, that assumes that we haven't gotten to the part of the season where somebody is always on IR.  If we're there, nobody gets sent down.

[dudacek]

59 minutes ago, Randall Flagg said:

Though I guess it's kinda hard to bring up things you don't like on a message board when teams are doing well. People don't really like it. 

 

I think you are right, but for me personally it’s the opposite.

What drives me nuts are the sweeping generalizations: when the Sabres are losing, everything and everyone is horrible and they will always be horrible. When the Sabres are winning, the reverse starts to happen, although it’s a little easier to tolerate.

I guess it’s just my nature to be contrarian. ?

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, Randall Flagg said:

unless you think that literally everything is going perfectly and that's why you're winning! 

No, everything is not going perfectly.  That's the wonder of it all:  We're winning in spite of having an 18-year-old D-man who's learning the North American game on the fly, and a 21-year-old tweener who's learning a new system.  The "holes" we have in the team should close up as the talent develops, yet we're winning even with the undeveloped talent playing regular shifts.

1 hour ago, Randall Flagg said:

I guess it's kinda hard to bring up things you don't like on a message board when teams are doing well. People don't really like it. 

Whatever are you talking about, Dear Randall?  ?

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

It'll be interesting to see what happens when Wilson is ready.  I'm expecting he starts with a conditioning assignment in Ra-cha-cha (pretty sure he's eligible for 1, if not, nevermind).

Was sure 2 weeks ago that Thompson would then go down after that was done, but now expect them to see if Wilson (60%) or Elie (40%) clear.  Wilson's salary might keep him from getting poached, Elie will get poached by Dallas; is the reason I'd expect Wilson to go.

Of course, that assumes that we haven't gotten to the part of the season where somebody is always on IR.  If we're there, nobody gets sent down.

I think they waive Elie outright.  He was only a temporary stop-gap bench warmer.  The Stars can have him back now.

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, Doohickie said:

I think they waive Elie outright.  He was only a temporary stop-gap bench warmer.  The Stars can have him back now.

Is definitely possible.  But Botterill doesn't strike me as one to give up an asset for nothing if he doesn't have to do so. 

Of course, maybe part of the reason for the Fedun trade was to get Dallas to let Elie clear waivers without a claim.  I might revise my expectations to 80% Elie goes down & 20% Wilson does if anybody has to go down.

[GASabresIUFAN]

I thought it was Randall’s job to be the fly in the ointment.

Funny though, didn’t I start a thread about the lack of secondary scoring.  Don’t we have a thread about the goaltending carrying this team so far?  Don’t we have many posts about the slow starts the lack of a 60 minute effort many nights? I think we also have a thread about TT should be sent down (this thread in fact). Someone even created a fire PH thread. Then again people are bitching about getting “nothing” for ROR.  

It seems to me, people here aren’t really wearing rose colored glasses about this team. We are all just excited about having fun hockey to watch each night.

Edited November 22, 2018 by GASabresIUFAN

[Doohickie]

9 hours ago, GrassValleyGreg said:

Its their development plan for one of our top prospects, which includes variables beyond advanced metrics (e.g. Tage's confidence, his adjustment to NHL speed, etc.). Sometimes The Plan will outweigh optimal lineup. It's a calculated sacrifice for sure, but you'll just have to trust the player/human level assessment from the kid's head coach and GM or else you'll drive yourself crazy. Definitely an easier decision to make when winning.

While I agree, I think they'd be unwise to take ERod for granted. 

[Hoss]

Tage looked good and strong from the nosebleeds. Top heavy might be a good way to describe his skating, though. Needs to get a little more consistent on his feet.

[dudacek]

He’s still not there yet, but his progress is visible and there is no doubt of his physical gifts.

If he continues progressing, he and Sam coupled with Jack and Jeff, and Kyle and the steadily growing Casey could be three imposing pairs by season’s end.

[Hoss]

He’s been a definite positive each of the last three games

[PerreaultForever]

Not sure he'll ever do it, but what he needs imo is a rigorous work out and diet designed to put 15-20 pounds of muscle on that frame. Maybe get him to follow Bogo's off season routine as he beefed up. You add some solid muscle to that guy and get him to play a little nastier and he could be a really good player. As is he's awkward at best. 

 

The Thompson-Sobodka-Reinhart line is our weakest imo. While Bergland is out I'd like to see what E-Rod could do centering it. Not that Sobodka is the weak link, but as a good 2 way player I think he'd fit well with Larsson and Zemgus. 

[Tondas]

Here I am

On the road again

There I am

Up on the stage

Here I go

Playing the star again

There I go

I am Tage

[GASabresIUFAN]

14 minutes ago, Tondas said:

Here I am

 

On the road again

 

There I am

 

Up on the stage

 

Here I go

 

Playing the star again

 

There I go

 

I am Tage

 

 

 

Wow a Bob Seger reference.  You must be old.

[Tondas]

5 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Wow a Bob Seger reference.  You must be old.

I'm not old, I'm classic!

[Doohickie]

5 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Wow a Bob Seger reference.  You must be old.

What're you talking about?  That was magnificent, @Tondas

[darksabre]

I'm officially okay with Thompson. He's fine. 

[Doohickie]

Just now, darksabre said:

I'm officially okay with Thompson. He's fine. 

JBot knows how to evaluate talent.  *And* he and Housley know how to develop it. 

[nfreeman]

I want TT to be the 5th guy on PP1, and I want the entire structure of the PP to be redesigned around getting it to him so he can fire the weapon.  Holy mackerel.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

3 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

I want TT to be the 5th guy on PP1, and I want the entire structure of the PP to be redesigned around getting it to him so he can fire the weapon.  Holy mackerel.  

Happy Gilmore who can skate.

Are we sure we lost the ROR trade?

Edited November 25, 2018 by GASabresIUFAN