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Tage-ing the Thompson: Expectations


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Tage good?  

59 members have voted

  1. 1. Will Tage Thompson be a useful contributor to the Sabres this season 2019/20?

    • Yes, he will contribute as a top 9 forward
      7
    • No, he will be bad again and needs to spend at least a year in the AHL
      19
    • Maybe, it depends on his linemates or his physical development
      33
  2. 2. If Thompson makes the team, how many points will he score? He had 7g, 5a in 65games last season.

    • 15 points or less
      6
    • 16-20 points
      16
    • 21-25 points
      17
    • 26-30 points
      10
    • 31-40 points
      2
    • 41 or more points
      1


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15 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Looking at the roster it’s not hard to picture a scenario where he is not one of of our 12 best forwards.

But given the way he was handled last year, it is hard to think that Botterill does not have him pencilled in the lineup.

Both are true.

But IF he can actually prove to be 1 of the top 12, that's an added bonus. 

Would expect that he'll be given a more than fair chance to make the team.  But, now that we're looking at the 3rd year if the Botterill era, find it hard to believe he'd force Thompson onto Krueger if he can't beat somebody out / clearly hold off a challenger. 

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2 hours ago, dudacek said:

Looking at the roster it’s not hard to picture a scenario where he is not one of of our 12 best forwards.

But given the way he was handled last year, it is hard to think that Botterill does not have him pencilled in the lineup.

Given the way he was handled last year, it is hard to think that Botterill does not have Sobotka pencilled into the lineup as well.  Last year is last year.  New players have been brought in.  The coach is new.  Things aren’t going to be exactly the same as last season.

I’m not saying that Thompson won’t start the season in the NHL, but I think it’s an open question for sure.  There is definite competition for the bottom 6 wing spots.  Skinner, Reinhart, Johansson, Sheary, Vesey, Olofsson, Girgensons, Okposo, Thompson, Wilson, Lazar, Sobotka.  That’s 12 wingers who have been NHLers for 8 spots in the lineup.  I can’t say with any certainty which will be in the lineup, in the press box, or in Rochester on opening night.

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27 minutes ago, Curt said:

Given the way heSobotka was handled last year, it is hard to think that Botterill does not have Sobotka pencilled into the lineup as well. easy to see why Housley is unemployed. Last year is last year.  New players have been brought in.  The coach is new.  Things aren’t going to be exactly the same as last season.

I’m not saying that Thompson won’t start the season in the NHL, but I think it’s an open question for sure.  There is definite competition for the bottom 6 wing spots.  Skinner, Reinhart, Johansson, Sheary, Vesey, Olofsson, Girgensons, Okposo, Thompson, Wilson, Lazar, Sobotka.  That’s 12 wingers who have been NHLers for 8 spots in the lineup.  I can’t say with any certainty which will be in the lineup, in the press box, or in Rochester on opening night.

FTFY. ?

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I took it as a play on Gaging.  After trying to figure it out for a while.

Anyway, I think in order to contribute, Tage needs to speed it up a bit mentally.  The infamous toe drag seems to me to be an attempt to buy time before he has to make a decision.  In lesser leagues that might work but not in the NHL.  If you're continually stalling for time opposing players pounce on you.  So he needs to either speed up his mental game, or learn a more effective way to protect the puck using that big body of his.  Cuz toe drag ain't cuttin' it.

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12 minutes ago, Doohickie said:

I took it as a play on Gaging.  After trying to figure it out for a while.

Anyway, I think in order to contribute, Tage needs to speed it up a bit mentally.  The infamous toe drag seems to me to be an attempt to buy time before he has to make a decision.  In lesser leagues that might work but not in the NHL.  If you're continually stalling for time opposing players pounce on you.  So he needs to either speed up his mental game, or learn a more effective way to protect the puck using that big body of his.  Cuz toe drag ain't cuttin' it.

Yes. Tage-ing as in Gauging. We are gauging a player that thus far is not a useful NHL player. I hope that changes this season. 

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I didn't see anything in his game that makes me think he'll be a viable NHL contributor, sometimes there are late bloomers but you'd think you'd see signs of life at this stage in his career. He hasn't with the Blues and they were alright parting with him. I hope I'm wrong about it but I doubt it, he'll be on the bottom pairing if not in the AHL and probably at best 21-25 points.

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On 8/30/2019 at 12:21 PM, Curt said:

I would say more of the same, but maybe slightly better. 

To reach his potential, he needs to get quite a but stronger/bigger, that takes time.  It's pretty tough to add 25 pounds of muscle in 5 months, so I'm not expecting that.  That often takes guys a few years.

I'll echo what Randall said, and add that I'm not convinced that he has the "hockey IQ" to be a high level NHLer.  He could top out as a bottom-6 guy if that part of his game doesn't develop as well.  I wouldn't been shocked if he ended up a 15 goal, 25-30 point 3rd/4th liner.

True story. The average guy working out a 4 day split and eating properly can gain 1.5-2lbs a month of muscle. TT being a pro with access to trainers etc, could probably hit 2.5-3lbs of muscle a month and that's really pushing it. I can see him starting the season maybe 12lbs heavier than last season, 15lbs if he really trains hard.

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On 8/30/2019 at 10:36 AM, ... said:

I think Tage and Mitts both bring up an interesting part of being a NHL player that seems to get lost in the discussion of the physical game and stats and such.

I think both of these guys need cognitive development - both need to "process the game" better.  How do they develop these guys cognitively other than by making them play in games?  Are there specialists in this area?  I'm not talking about sports-psychologists, but rather people who specialize in mental training?

Only thing I can think of is drills. Hammer in enough drills and the body starts moving automatically. I think this is the biggest issue with the rotating coaches. Plays and drills they might have been hammering in them were shifting too often and they had to think before they move.

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  • 2 weeks later...

He's trying to bulk up, and that's good. But it'll take time to fill out when he's 6'6, then there's the side of learning how to use that muscle effectively. He plays like a dangler, but with that much wingspan he won't be consistently effective. Tage needs to transfer to the AHL Academy this season, before the harvest, so he can hunker down and play balanced 5-on-5 minutes and pad his stats with the PP. I'm thinking 2nd line RW. Once he has a couple seasons of all-around game and is in the 6'6" 220# range, then we can talk. This could mean he's moved in a trade or lost in expansion, but everything I saw last season shows me he's not ready for the NHL except the velocity of his shot. (And Olofsson is going to destroy him in competition for a winger spot.)

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24 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

He reminds me of Afinogenov.  Lots of talent to be sure, but it never amounts to anything and he has absolutely no head for playing hockey.  He's a bust.

 

This Afinogenov?

http://www.hockeydb.com/ihdb/stats/pdisplay.php?pid=33997

600+ NHL games, three seasons of 60+ points?

Still playing pro hockey at 40?

I’ll take that kind of bust.

Edited by dudacek
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1 minute ago, DarthEbriate said:

I too would love for Tage to be Maxim. Alas, Afinogenov was about 5'10 and could protect the puck. Tage is still very easily separated from the puck (not that he can't improve) but he'll never have the agility and short burst that Afinogenov had. Maxim looked like a baby-Bure out there at times.

Tage’s inability to protect the puck was his chief drawback, but his size is not a detriment in that area any more than it was for Jean Beliveau or Mario Lemieux. It should be an asset if he adds strength and the NHL game slows down for him.

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29 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Tage’s inability to protect the puck was his chief drawback, but his size is not a detriment in that area any more than it was for Jean Beliveau or Mario Lemieux. It should be an asset if he adds strength and the NHL game slows down for him.

If Tage can add 40lbs to get to Lemieux's size and learn to use his wingspan to protect ala those two or Jagr, then that'll be fantastic. Then he's a top 6 scoring winger and can ride shotgun to Eichel, Mitts, Reino, or Cozens for 10 years.

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