Tage Thompson's Upside? What Do You Think?

[Doohicksie]

4 hours ago, PASabreFan said:

It's proportional.

[inkman]

18 hours ago, Curt said:

He was certainly big and used his size, but still 3 inches shorter than Thompson.

It’s hard for Tage to keep that rat in its cage 

[Curt]

2 hours ago, inkman said:

It’s hard for Tage to keep that rat in its cage 

I should have known better.  Inky strikes again.

[inkman]

26 minutes ago, Curt said:

I should have known better.  Inky strikes again.

[triumph_communes]

Was promoted too early by a desperate GM. 
 

Upside is obvious, he’s the real deal. Always takes long necks longer to get comfortable with their body. 

[GASabresIUFAN]

Do we have two of the hardest shots in the NHL with TNT and VO?

[inkman]

His upside is huge

 

[Zamboni]

They should have made the microphone smaller 😂

33 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Do we have two of the hardest shots in the NHL with TNT and VO?

I think VO’s shot is more quick and accurate. Not really heavy or hard.

[HumanSlinky39]

Moving him to Center was a stroke of genius.

53 minutes ago, inkman said:

His upside is huge

 

Looks like Ivan Drago and Rocky.

[PromoTheRobot]

1 hour ago, HumanSlinky39 said:

Moving him to Center was a stroke of genius.

Looks like Ivan Drago and Rocky.

Ray's head: actual size 

 

 

[dudacek]

Now officially a half-season under Don. 15 goals, 10 assists in 41 games.

6/3/9 in his past 10. His goal tonight is his only point on the PP.

[Derrico]

C’mon who here pegged him at a 35+ goal pace at the quarter pole?  I shudder to think we may of actually got back any type of return for ROR.

[dudacek]

2 minutes ago, Derrico said:

C’mon who here pegged him at a 35+ goal pace at the quarter pole?  I shudder to think we may of actually got back any type of return for ROR.

I’ve decided he actually is a good player. What comes next is figuring out how good.

The fact he apparently also is a centre and a pretty good one at that really changes the look of the team’s depth chart moving forward. 

[Doohicksie]

41 minutes ago, Derrico said:

C’mon who here pegged him at a 35+ goal pace at the quarter pole?  I shudder to think we may of actually got back any type of return for ROR.

Me, a week before the start of the season. 

 

[Weave]

8 hours ago, dudacek said:

I’ve decided he actually is a good player. What comes next is figuring out how good.

The fact he apparently also is a centre and a pretty good one at that really changes the look of the team’s depth chart moving forward. 

I think the Adam Creighton comparable is looking rather accurate.

[Thorner]

Without rounding out his game (5 assists) I don't see him having a (centre) ceiling much above 3rd scoring line C on a good team, but that he's even imo credibly in that position is a testament to his development 

Edited November 23, 2021 by Thorny

[GASabresIUFAN]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

I think the Adam Creighton comparable is looking rather accurate.

That’s an interesting comparison.  The Buffalo version topped out at 40 pts, but the Blackhawks version had a 36 g 70pt season with a 51 pt season the next year.  However Adam was consistently inconsistent.  

Also Thompson was drafted as a center and played center in college.
 

 

 

[Doohicksie]

2 hours ago, Thorny said:

Without rounding out his game (5 assists) I don't see him having a (centre) ceiling much above 3rd scoring line C on a good team, but that he's even imo credibly in that position is a testament to his development 

I think the assists will come if Skinner can bury some opportunities.

[Curt]

I think that he will/can be an OK-ish 2nd line C, but on a team that is actually going to be a contender, he will be a 3C.  He can also fill a role on the PP.

[Weave]

2 hours ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

That’s an interesting comparison.  The Buffalo version topped out at 40 pts, but the Blackhawks version had a 36 g 70pt season with a 51 pt season the next year.  However Adam was consistently inconsistent.  

Also Thompson was drafted as a center and played center in college.
 

 

 

It wasn’t my comparison, but I think it may prove a good one.  Creighton wasn’t really a 2C, but when the situation called for it, he could fill that role in a pinch.  Right now I see TT as being slotted at least 1 line higher than he should be, and he is seeing an increase in points because of it.  But you wouldn’t want to plan your roster around slotting him where he is currently.  You want him in a middle 6 role, preferably line 3.  Creighton was about the same, really.

[dudacek]

The Sabres haven’t had very many “good” players since Darcy and Murray gutted the team.

Sam Reinhart, Victor Olofsson ….?

They’ve had useful players like Zemgus, inconsistent ones like Skinner and Lehner, promising ones like Jokiharju and Foligno, mediocre ones like Johanssen and Miller, bad ones like Benoit and Hutton, a whole host of JAGs, even the odd great player like Jack and ROR.

But good players - Jay McKee, Jochen Hecht, JP Dumont - have been few and far between.

Really it’s been one of our biggest flaws in the Pegula era.

I think in Thompson we actually have a good player.

Edited November 23, 2021 by dudacek

[nfreeman]

Assuming the Sabres don't end up with a "generational" stud C in the 2022 draft, I can see the Sabres having a bunch of pretty good #2/#3 Cs -- Tager, Krebs, Cozens and Mitts -- with an ongoing competition for usage and ice time. 

For the record, TT's emergence IMHO has been really something and a major accomplishment by DG.  His line consistently creates chances and he creates offense by carrying the puck up ice, finding soft spots and firing both a huge slapper and a dangerous wrister.  He has a very good sense for the offensive game overall.  He's also pretty decent on the backcheck and has acquitted himself pretty well in Eichel's old spot on the left half-wall on the PP, including the 2-man game with Dahlin.

 

[Taro T]

44 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Assuming the Sabres don't end up with a "generational" stud C in the 2022 draft, I can see the Sabres having a bunch of pretty good #2/#3 Cs -- Tager, Krebs, Cozens and Mitts -- with an ongoing competition for usage and ice time. 

For the record, TT's emergence IMHO has been really something and a major accomplishment by DG.  His line consistently creates chances and he creates offense by carrying the puck up ice, finding soft spots and firing both a huge slapper and a dangerous wrister.  He has a very good sense for the offensive game overall.  He's also pretty decent on the backcheck and has acquitted himself pretty well in Eichel's old spot on the left half-wall on the PP, including the 2-man game with Dahlin.

 

True.  

And it is so difficult to reconcile that this kid that's leading the team in scoring at C is the same one that while playing W ####ed up his shoulder bracing for a check into the boards by lifting his arm to brace for the impact.

His sense for playing C is light years ahead of his sense for playing W.

Good on Granato for giving him that shot, whether out of necessity, seeing something in his game that sparked that idea, or a little of both.

[bob_sauve28]

56 minutes ago, nfreeman said:

Assuming the Sabres don't end up with a "generational" stud C in the 2022 draft, I can see the Sabres having a bunch of pretty good #2/#3 Cs -- Tager, Krebs, Cozens and Mitts -- with an ongoing competition for usage and ice time. 

For the record, TT's emergence IMHO has been really something and a major accomplishment by DG.  His line consistently creates chances and he creates offense by carrying the puck up ice, finding soft spots and firing both a huge slapper and a dangerous wrister.  He has a very good sense for the offensive game overall.  He's also pretty decent on the backcheck and has acquitted himself pretty well in Eichel's old spot on the left half-wall on the PP, including the 2-man game with Dahlin.

 

Do you think a team made up of good players can win a Stanley cup without a superstar? Seems like we will have a bunch of really good players soon, but no legit super star 

[nfreeman]

9 minutes ago, bob_sauve28 said:

Do you think a team made up of good players can win a Stanley cup without a superstar? Seems like we will have a bunch of really good players soon, but no legit super star 

Good question.  I think the 2006 Sabres could’ve won the Cup, and that team didn’t have a top-10 player.  You could say the same of STL in 2019 (Tarasenko had 68 pts that year and I don’t think Pietrangelo or ROR is a superstar) and perhaps Boston in 2011, although I think Marchand is a top 10 player.