Is Tage better than ROR?

[LGR4GM]

Some want this conversation. Here you go

50 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

That’s not a fair comparison considering the surgery Jack is recovering from.  Assuming both are healthy next season, that will be a more reasonable comparison.

I like the ROR comparison better.  I also would ask knowing what we know now, would we be better off with Thomas, Kyrou or Thompson as the compensation for ROR?

 

2 minutes ago, mjd1001 said:

The comparison to ROR is the key with Thompson.  The Sabres may end up with that being a trade that benefits them greatly, even though St. Louis would not take it back.  The Blues got their cup out of it...The Sabres got a guy who may be the 'better player/better fit' but one that took time to get there.  The trade may be good for both teams simply because St. Louis didn't have time to wait if they were in their 'cup window' and the Sabres weren't even making the playoffs with or without any of those players during that time.

 

Edited April 18, 2022 by LGR4GM

[PromoTheRobot]

Just now, LGR4GM said:

Some want this conversation. Here you go

Peak ROR or 2022 ROR?

[SDS]

A better comparison would be Tage versus Sam.

[LGR4GM]

Just now, PromoTheRobot said:

Peak ROR or 2022 ROR?

Whatever ppl want

[Marvin]

As someone who never really starts evaluating Presidents and Congresses until at least 20 years are passed, I find these discussions after less than 1 season at best premature and at worst foolhardy.

[Weave]

6 minutes ago, SDS said:

A better comparison would be Tage versus Sam.

[Taro T]

2 minutes ago, SDS said:

A better comparison would be Tage versus Sam.

And the answer to that would come down to how much value is being placed on the intangible of team chemistry.  If both players sustain moving forward what they accomplished this year on the ice, based strictly on what they do on the ice, IMHO Reinhart would edge Thompson out but it's darn close.

Throw in how each have/had a role in the team becoming a family, so to speak, again IMHO, it flips to Thompson hands down. 

If that chemistry is truly important, it goes to Tage.  If the overall chemistry is overrated, then it just comes down to on-ice & Sam edges him out.

And if Tage can't sustain this year's results, then it's Sam.  Likely even when the intangibles are given weight.

[nucci]

Let's see if he can lead us to a Cup and be MVP...

[SwampD]

I was watching the StL feed the other day and they were talking about what a great trade that was. How it’s okay when both teams get exactly what they need and both “win” the trade.

[mjd1001]

14 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

As someone who never really starts evaluating Presidents and Congresses until at least 20 years are passed, I find these discussions after less than 1 season at best premature and at worst foolhardy.

You may be right, but discussion like this is a large part of what being a fan is...and being a member of a message boards of fans is about.

[dudacek]

Is Tage becoming a leader on this team?

My answer is yes.

[Doohickie]

1 hour ago, SDS said:

A better comparison would be Tage versus Sam.

Okay, let's start another thread!

1 hour ago, PromoTheRobot said:

Peak ROR or 2022 ROR?

I think Tage will be be better than peak ROR when all is said and done.  He will soon be far better than current ROR.

[triumph_communes]

STL won the trade full stop. Any eight year monster contract is worth a cup win.  And STL wasn’t winning that cup that year without ROR. That’s what this is all about. 
 

But STL’s win and Buffalo’s is not mutually exclusive. 
 

The Sabres keeping ROR was not getting into any playoffs. There were no leaders in a toxic room. ROR wasn’t changing that. STL has gone sour after the afterglow of the trade wore off. Remember they were dead last until they changed coaches that season too. 
 

In 2022 the Sabres are in a better position with Tage than they would be with ROR. For this I don’t think one can say Buffalo lost the trade.  Just took a decade of suffering. A decade of bad drafting followed by intentional Tank and total disregard for human factors, followed by over correction of human factors with self help scam artists in the way and this trade wasn’t fixing that. The biggest scab was Eichel and we finally pulled that one off. Now we have a budding superstar with no ego and a brother future. 
 

amd Tage is a better hockey player. You can pay a 4th liner to do what ROR did at a premium on the defensive end, and you can use a different body for the offense and not result in a guy who has to play 25-30 minutes a night to fill in two gaps on a team. 

[Marvin]

1 hour ago, mjd1001 said:

You may be right, but discussion like this is a large part of what being a fan is...and being a member of a message boards of fans is about.

Agreed.  I am just pointing out that this has "uninformed hot takes" written all over it.  I expect that people will get overly pushy like many did (and still do) to those of us who opposed The Tank.  Consider this my plea to fellow posters to not attack those who disagree.

[inkman]

3 hours ago, dudacek said:

Is Tage becoming a leader on this team?

My answer is yes.

I just wish he’d use that 6’7” frame for more than generating torque on that ridiculous shot.  An occasional hit and, perish the thought, dropping the gloves every 20-30 games wouldn’t hurt. 

[Skibum]

I'd call it a win-win. St. Louis got the Cup, therefore they did not lose. Buffalo may end up getting a better player for more years, therefore they also did not lose. 

 

But to answer the OP question, No, Tage is not better than ROR, YET. He's got a long way to go to prove that. 

[mjd1001]

Better in which way?  How do you define what/who is a better hockey player?

Do you value a 2-way guy who is very valuable across all 200 feet and can win you a lot of faceoffs? Who is going to give you no less than 15 goals a year? Who has never hit 30 in his career but averages more than 20? Then ROR is better than Tage to you..

Do you value a forward that might give you 40+ goals in a season and already has given you 30+? A guy that has the potential, a ceiling, to double the 'average' goal output of the other guy, and is just entering the prime of his career, where ROR is going into his 14th season next year and likely past his peak?  Then Tage is better than ROR for you.

[Pimlach]

I am going to pass on this one and will answer in 2030.  

[PerreaultForever]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

Is Tage becoming a leader on this team?

My answer is yes.

Is he? I'm not saying he isn't a leader, just that I haven't seen anything to indicate that. 

Tuch clearly is, Kyle is, Dahlin might be, Cozens and Krebs might be. Tage looks like he's having fun, smiling more, but why do you say he's a leader?

 

As for the ROR comparative, completely different types of players so no comparison. Right now however I'd rather have Tage on the team than Eichel (or Sam) but also, it's just one season. I'm not going to get pessimistic, but I'm not ready to raise him up to comparisons with Conn Smyth winners either. Not yet. 

I will say this though, I think he's better than Marner or Nylander and all their lofty media accolades. 

[Claude Balls]

Hard to compare cagey old vet with a kid just coming into his own. Let's first see if TT can keep this up for more than one season. 

[dudacek]

30 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

Is he? I'm not saying he isn't a leader, just that I haven't seen anything to indicate that. 

Tuch clearly is, Kyle is, Dahlin might be, Cozens and Krebs might be. Tage looks like he's having fun, smiling more, but why do you say he's a leader?. 

More than anything else, it is the way he takes charge on the ice. He demands the puck during the crucial moments of the game and he delivers in those moments. He’s got a real “give me the ***** ball” attitude going now. There’s no fear or no compromise.

Complementing that is a bit of a natural understated swagger. He’s not afraid to stand up for his teammates or himself, and he’s not shy about rubbing the opposition or their fans the wrong way.

That has carried over into his interviews. He comes across as focused and determined, with an equal mix of caring about his teammates and belief that he needs to be an example for them.

And finally, I see teammates deferring to him.

Edited April 18, 2022 by dudacek

[Porous Five Hole]

3 hours ago, inkman said:

I just wish he’d use that 6’7” frame for more than generating torque on that ridiculous shot.  An occasional hit and, perish the thought, dropping the gloves every 20-30 games wouldn’t hurt. 

Man, this might just be old school versus new school…but Tage is hard to play against. I don’t need him throwing punches at a face shield for any occasion ever.  Save that crap for someone who doesn’t score 40 goals.  

[inkman]

10 minutes ago, Porous Five Hole said:

Man, this might just be old school versus new school…but Tage is hard to play against. I don’t need him throwing punches at a face shield for any occasion ever.  Save that crap for someone who doesn’t score 40 goals.  

Well anyone punching people would be great 

[Pimlach]

3 hours ago, PerreaultForever said:

Is he? I'm not saying he isn't a leader, just that I haven't seen anything to indicate that. 

Tuch clearly is, Kyle is, Dahlin might be, Cozens and Krebs might be. Tage looks like he's having fun, smiling more, but why do you say he's a leader?

 

As for the ROR comparative, completely different types of players so no comparison. Right now however I'd rather have Tage on the team than Eichel (or Sam) but also, it's just one season. I'm not going to get pessimistic, but I'm not ready to raise him up to comparisons with Conn Smyth winners either. Not yet. 

I will say this though, I think he's better than Marner or Nylander and all their lofty media accolades. 

To add to @dudacek -  He shows leadership in a less vocal manner.  He practices hard and gets results - so leadership by example.  He is popular too and hangs out with the team.  He is not a party animal, more of a mature serious married guy type.  Solid guy.  Responsible.  

Edited April 19, 2022 by Pimlach

[Pimlach]

7 hours ago, inkman said:

I just wish he’d use that 6’7” frame for more than generating torque on that ridiculous shot.  An occasional hit and, perish the thought, dropping the gloves every 20-30 games wouldn’t hurt. 

I think he has fought twice.  He gets angry but he is not a natural fighter at all. If he was his reach would be beneficial and power from the long arms would be quite impressive.