Sabres sign Tage Thompson to 3 year 1.4 AAV Extension

[JohnC]

11 hours ago, Radar said:

Like it or not(I don't) a million per year is going to be a league minimum the rate things were going prior to Civic19.

 

This was a good deal for the player and for the team. If he becomes a good third line player or with some luck a second line player his contract will at worst be worth the money and at best a bargain. The Sabres have invested in him as a prospect and it appears that he is at the point where he can be a contributing player. 

[Hank]

I didn't read through this thread. Am I the only one expecting tage to have a really good year? 40-50 points and a solid 200ft game. 

[SwampD]

24 minutes ago, Hank said:

I didn't read through this thread. Am I the only one expecting tage to have a really good year? 40-50 points and a solid 200ft game. 

You are not the only one.

[jsb]

40-50 points might be a bit too high but no you're not the only one who thinks he'll stick this year.

[Zamboni]

28 minutes ago, Hank said:

I didn't read through this thread. Am I the only one expecting tage to have a really good year? 40-50 points and a solid 200ft game. 

I think he’ll be closer to a 30 to 40 point player this season rather than a 40 to 50 point player. Especially if he’s relegated to the third or fourth line.

[PerreaultForever]

idk. i see the third line as Girgensens-Eakins-Okposo. Tage has to earn a spot imo. I don't see him as anything right now. 

[sabremike]

1 hour ago, jsb said:

40-50 points might be a bit too high but no you're not the only one who thinks he'll stick this year.

I expect him to score 40-50 points per game.

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, sabremike said:

I expect him to score 40-50 points per game.

He's tall dunno if he's Wilt Chamberlain tall..

[sabremike]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

He's tall dunno if he's Wilt Chamberlain tall..

He's way taller than his brother Tyce:

 

 

[LGR4GM]

On 10/5/2020 at 5:11 PM, dudacek said:

That has the potential to be one of the best contracts the Sabres have signed in years.

You so far have been right. I was very doubtful and outright opposed to the idea Thompson would be somehow better. I thought we had a 30ish pt 3rd liner on our hands and was fine with the contract. Tage Thompson was like, no, I am top 6 center material. 

[Thorner]

4 hours ago, LGR4GM said:

You so far have been right. I was very doubtful and outright opposed to the idea Thompson would be somehow better. I thought we had a 30ish pt 3rd liner on our hands and was fine with the contract. Tage Thompson was like, no, I am top 6 center material. 

I'd go with mid-6 C, on a good team. I don't see 1C potential with Tage. 

[Weave]

1 hour ago, Thorny said:

I'd go with mid-6 C, on a good team. I don't see 1C potential with Tage. 

As Dudacek (I think) so sagely noted, Adam Creighton.  Somewhere between 2C and 3C on a decent team.

[Thorner]

3 minutes ago, Weave said:

As Dudacek (I think) so sagely noted, Adam Creighton.  Somewhere between 2C and 3C on a decent team.

Ya I liked that comp 

People want to project Krebs into the “Roy” role, but if we are looking to build a team to that approximate level, it’s really the guy we have at 1C now who would fit in that spot (and even then, Tage’s production is a tad lower). 

[Weave]

8 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Ya I liked that comp 

People want to project Krebs into the “Roy” role, but if we are looking to build a team to that approximate level, it’s really the guy we have at 1C now who would fit in that spot (and even then, Tage’s production is a tad lower). 

I don't really follow prospects/draft to any extent, especially prospects for other teams, so my awareness of Kreb's abilities is limited at this point.  But the sense I get from what I've seen and read here is, Krebs might be more a Curtis Brown type (understanding that Brown's stats are somewhat depressed given he played in the dead puck era).

Edited December 29, 2021 by Weave

[LGR4GM]

1 minute ago, Weave said:

I don't really follow prospects/draft to any extent, especially prospects for other teams, so my awareness of Kreb's abilities is limited at this point.  But the sense I get from what I've seen and read here is, Kreb's might be more a Curtis Brown type (understanding that Brown's stats are somewhat depressed given he played in the dead puck era).

Krebs is a gritty pass first center. He's got the potential to be a 40a type of player. 

Edited December 29, 2021 by LGR4GM

[Pimlach]

I know I like the Tage signing.  I think there is a bit more upside to what we have seen. Hoping he can be more consistent.   

[Dreams Burn Down]

2 minutes ago, Pimlach said:

I know I like the Tage signing.  I think there is a bit more upside to what we have seen. Hoping he can be more consistent.   

I agree. Still, he's shown me more than I ever thought possible. I hope his growth and maturation as a Sabre are far from over.

[dudacek]

Tage is currently tied for 36th among NHL centres for points, 29th for ES points and 13th for goals.

His stats right now are as good or better than Erikson-Ek, Trochek, Schiefele, Horvat, O’Reilly, Jenner, Suzuki, Carter, Couturier, Barzal and Hischier among other top-6 centres. I think most of us watching think his points have been earned.

For those who think his numbers are artificially elevated by usage, he’s 59th in ice time.

How long does this have to continue before we decide he is a legitimate top-6 centre?

[Marvin]

29 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Tage is currently tied for 36th among NHL centres for points, 29th for ES points and 13th for goals.

His stats right now are as good or better than Erikson-Ek, Trochek, Schiefele, Horvat, O’Reilly, Jenner, Suzuki, Carter, Couturier, Barzal and Hischier among other top-6 centres. I think most of us watching think his points have been earned.

For those who think his numbers are artificially elevated by usage, he’s 59th in ice time.

How long does this have to continue before we decide he is a legitimate top-6 centre?

Party pooper here: a couple of seasons.  I have seen a LOT of one-year wonders.

Having said that, the returns are better than "promising."

[Zamboni]

11 minutes ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

Party pooper here: a couple of seasons.  I have seen a LOT of one-year wonders.

Having said that, the returns are better than "promising."

I am kind of in the same boat… I am very glad, very pleased that TNT is putting it together this year. But a handful of games at this point leaves me just cautiously optimistic. let’s see what he does the rest of the year…. Hopefully awesome. let’s see what he does next year… Hopefully awesome and continues to develop. I hope present day TNT isn’t the best he’ll ever be. But if he is… That’s ok too.

[Weave]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

Tage is currently tied for 36th among NHL centres for points, 29th for ES points and 13th for goals.

His stats right now are as good or better than Erikson-Ek, Trochek, Schiefele, Horvat, O’Reilly, Jenner, Suzuki, Carter, Couturier, Barzal and Hischier among other top-6 centres. I think most of us watching think his points have been earned.

For those who think his numbers are artificially elevated by usage, he’s 59th in ice time.

How long does this have to continue before we decide he is a legitimate top-6 centre?

Does he get top 4 wings over Mitts and Cozens?  That will be when we can decide if he is a legit top 6 center.

[Doohicksie]

3 hours ago, Weave said:

Does he get top 4 wings over Mitts and Cozens?  That will be when we can decide if he is a legit top 6 center.

Kind of an interesting question.  Do Mitts and Cozens clearly slot over Tage?  Will Mitts ever be the guy we started to see last season?  Will Krebs eventually push into the top 6 as a center? 

I think this season is an evaluation of center to some extent, to see who can handle it.  So far Tage is the only one who has stepped forward.  Maybe if Mitts finds his mojo upon return he gets in there but he might be better used as a 3C anyway.  Cozens shows flashes but hasn't consistently brought what Tage has so far this year.  I think Cozens still has upside we haven't yet seen.

My point is, if you look at the centers in the system, Tage might legitimately be the Sabres 1C at least for the next year or two.

[Weave]

19 minutes ago, The Ghost of Yuri said:

My point is, if you look at the centers in the system, Tage might legitimately be the Sabres 1C at least for the next year or two.

And that is a definite possibility.  He would probably only be a 1C on Buffalo’s roster though.  I don’t envision good team 1C as his ceiling, but I do see interim 1C while the eventual 1C is groomed.

If everyone hits their probable peak we may have 3 or 4 C’s that are all within a step of each other, but with different traits.  Shades of 06-07.

[Thorner]

5 hours ago, Marvin, Sabres Fan said:

Party pooper here: a couple of seasons.  I have seen a LOT of one-year wonders.

Having said that, the returns are better than "promising."

Particularly considering, last I checked, his shooting percentage is higher than average, and he's not exactly putting up well-rounded point totals. Using the term "top 6" C only muddies things as he's not close to 1C quality. 2C on a good team? Perhaps. I think if it's playoff level he'd be in the 3-hole, though.

He's in 60th place for Centres in points per game

[Thorner]

37 minutes ago, Weave said:

Shades of 06-07.

Tage Thompson, age 24, 1C - .64 points per game

Derek Roy, age 23, 3C - .84 points per game

Long way to go. 

Edited December 30, 2021 by Thorny