Tage Thompson's Upside? What Do You Think?

[dudacek]

What amazed me tonight is how a guy that long could stick handle in close quarters the way he could.

The way he handles, protects and strips pucks this year has been eye-opening. The talent was always there, the game is just finally starting to click.

He’s kinda mirroring the Danny Briere development path, isn’t he?

Edited November 27, 2021 by dudacek

[NAF]

I think expectations on Tage need to be tempered. His shooting percentage is insanely high right now. That being said, he appears far more dynamic with the puck than ever before. I am excited to see how he progresses. I've also noticed that defensively he looks pretty solid. That long stick and his big frame helps to break up passes and keep the opposition to the outside in the defensive zone.

[Weave]

6 hours ago, dudacek said:

What amazed me tonight is how a guy that long could stick handle in close quarters the way he could.

The way he handles, protects and strips pucks this year has been eye-opening. The talent was always there, the game is just finally starting to click.

He’s kinda mirroring the Danny Briere development path, isn’t he?

Every season he’s shown flashes of high end skill, but somehow it just wasn’t translating on the ice.

This season it is translating on the ice.  I can’t see what is different, but it is working for him this year.

He is easy to root for.  It’s been fun to watch.

[bob_sauve28]

He’s on path to score more goals in a season than Eichel did. 

[Carmel Corn]

Stats could prove me wrong, but I always felt TT had more of a shoot first mentality vs. other forwards that have come and gone on this team.  Granted he would try pull off some stickhandling moves too, but it seems that he would pull the trigger more often than attempt one too many passes.   Let's hope he can stay healthy this year.  We're certainly getting our money's worth at $1.4 million.

Edited November 27, 2021 by Carmel Corn

[Curt]

1 hour ago, Carmel Corn said:

Stats could prove me wrong, but I always felt TT had more of a shoot first mentality vs. other forwards that have come and gone on this team.  Granted he would try pull off some stickhandling moves too, but it seems that he would pull the trigger more often than attempt one too many passes.   Let's hope he can stay healthy this year.  We're certainly getting our money's worth at $1.4 million.

He definitely is a shoot first/scoring C rather than a playmaking C.

Your last point is worth noting.  When Adams gave Thompson that 3 year contract, not everyone thought it was a good move.  Now it’s looking quite shrewd.

Adams has shown that he is willing to make bets on players that he believes in.  Let’s hope that most of them turn out like this one has so far.

[PickaPecaPickles]

2 hours ago, Weave said:

Every season he’s shown flashes of high end skill, but somehow it just wasn’t translating on the ice.

This season it is translating on the ice.  I can’t see what is different, but it is working for him this year.

He is easy to root for.  It’s been fun to watch.

Because it's mental not physical.  I recall reading about how Donnie G talked to him about his confidence.  He was very confident in practice, but would not take that same level of confidence into games.  He looks like a very confident player on the ice now and seems as if he is creating plays every time he steps on the ice.  From my unskilled eyes, I don't see this as a temporary blip, and he's usually the most entertaining player to watch every game. 

Also, He's currently tied for 13th in goals. 

[Taro T]

11 hours ago, dudacek said:

What amazed me tonight is how a guy that long could stick handle in close quarters the way he could.

The way he handles, protects and strips pucks this year has been eye-opening. The talent was always there, the game is just finally starting to click.

He’s kinda mirroring the Danny Briere development path, isn’t he?

Yep.  He's always had that in tight stickhanding when absolutely nothing was on the line.  He was doing that in his1st Sabres training camp.  He'd almost never done it in games & it is awesome to see him do that now when it does matter.

But the Briere development comparable isn't really apt IMHO.  Briere was excellent on the PP from day 1 for the Desert Dogs.  But in the clutch & grab era, he couldn't create enough space to score much 5v5 and due to his small stature the Yotes coaches never forgave his defensive shortcomings and he bounced up & down.  He was good in Buffalo but didn't explode on the scene until the rules changes that came with the end of the lockout allowed him to use his speed 5v5.

There is a similarity in that his game has been completely different since getting moved to C & maybe he could've been this guy the whole time but his actual play & not just the results has been night & day.  Briere was the same guy the whole time, just once he couldn't legally get tackled what he could do became blatantly noticable.

Edited November 27, 2021 by Taro T

[Sabres Fan in NS]

He's on pace for about 40 goals right now, so he will likely end up with around 30 for an 82 game season.

It seems that he is turning into a relaible goal scorer under Granato.

[mjd1001]

22 minutes ago, The Ghost of Doohickie said:

He's on pace for about 40 goals right now, so he will likely end up with around 30 for an 82 game season.

It seems that he is turning into a relaible goal scorer under Granato.

That would be impressive.

In the last 10 seasons (I know a couple of them being covid shortened) the Sabres have a total of 3 (Three!) 30 goal seasons by players.....In the last 10 years.  Skinner had 40, Eichel had 36, and Pominville had 30.  That is it. Even with how bad they have been it seems like it should  be more than that.

Edited November 27, 2021 by mjd1001

[pi2000]

6 hours ago, NAF said:

I think expectations on Tage need to be tempered. His shooting percentage is insanely high right now. That being said, he appears far more dynamic with the puck than ever before. I am excited to see how he progresses. I've also noticed that defensively he looks pretty solid. That long stick and his big frame helps to break up passes and keep the opposition to the outside in the defensive zone.

He has a very hard shot but it's the quickness of his release that surprises goaltenders.  He's also much more accurate with it than in years past, and doesn't always try to go bar down.   

I, for one, expect his goal scoring exploits to continue.

[Curt]

12 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

He has a very hard shot but it's the quickness of his release that surprises goaltenders.  He's also much more accurate with it than in years past, and doesn't always try to go bar down.   

I, for one, expect his goal scoring exploits to continue.

I think he has adjusted the way he uses his shot. Seems he used to like to pull back and let it rip as hard as he could, generally missing the net.  Now it seems like he more often tries to get a shot off quickly, and doing that it still has more than enough zip on it, and it actually gets on net too.

[Weave]

18 minutes ago, Curt said:

I think he has adjusted the way he uses his shot. Seems he used to like to pull back and let it rip as hard as he could, generally missing the net.  Now it seems like he more often tries to get a shot off quickly, and doing that it still has more than enough zip on it, and it actually gets on net too.

He’s been very effective using opponents as close screens to hide that quick release.  That seems a recent development.

[Taro T]

47 minutes ago, pi2000 said:

He has a very hard shot but it's the quickness of his release that surprises goaltenders.  He's also much more accurate with it than in years past, and doesn't always try to go bar down.   

I, for one, expect his goal scoring exploits to continue.

And adding the wrister to his repertoire was a very good development.  With his length he doesn't need to wind up to generate torque.

He very well could keep up the goal scoring pace unless D start essentially doubling him up which would create space for Olofsson.  Let them pick their poison- darned if you do, darned if you don't.

[Thorner]

8 hours ago, Weave said:

Every season he’s shown flashes of high end skill, but somehow it just wasn’t translating on the ice.

This season it is translating on the ice.  I can’t see what is different, but it is working for him this year.

He is easy to root for.  It’s been fun to watch.

Aside from what looks like a strong development curve: he's at centre. 

Granato was right that it gives him more room to get his shot off 

[dudacek]

4 hours ago, Taro T said:

Yep.  He's always had that in tight stickhanding when absolutely nothing was on the line.  He was doing that in his1st Sabres training camp.  He'd almost never done it in games & it is awesome to see him do that now when it does matter.

But the Briere development comparable isn't really apt IMHO.  Briere was excellent on the PP from day 1 for the Desert Dogs.  But in the clutch & grab era, he couldn't create enough space to score much 5v5 and due to his small stature the Yotes coaches never forgave his defensive shortcomings and he bounced up & down.  He was good in Buffalo but didn't explode on the scene until the rules changes that came with the end of the lockout allowed him to use his speed 5v5.

There is a similarity in that his game has been completely different since getting moved to C & maybe he could've been this guy the whole time but his actual play & not just the results has been night & day.  Briere was the same guy the whole time, just once he couldn't legally get tackled what he could do became blatantly noticable.

Not so much the whys but the path.

Both are late first round picks.

Both got looks in the NHL before they were ready.

Both had obvious talent at lower levels that didn’t immediately translate to the NHL.

Both were slow developers in terms of making the leap

Both finished their D5 year with 30-something NHL games, and some glimpses of middle six offence, but no one was really certain yet if they were real NHL players.

Danny emerged - rather unexpectedly - as a legit top 6 30-goal, 60-point man in his D6 year. Tage has started his D6 year on the same path.

It was actually Danny’s D10 season when he stepped up as a legit 1st-liner in 2006.

Edited November 27, 2021 by dudacek

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Not so much the whys but the path.

Both are late first round picks.

Both got looks in the NHL before they were ready.

Both had obvious talent at lower levels that didn’t immediately translate to the NHL.

Both were slow developers in terms of making the leap

Both finished a D5 year with 30-something NHL games, and no one certain whether they were going to be NHL players.

Danny emerged -somewhat unexpectedly as a legit top 6 30-goal, 60-point man in his D6 year. Tage has started his D6 year on the same path.

It was actually Danny’s D10 season when he stepped up as a legit 1st-liner in 2006.

Good comp re the reasons you mention but id give that last honor to Danny in 03-04. 

Edited November 27, 2021 by Thorny

[dudacek]

1 minute ago, Thorny said:

Good comp re the reason you mention but id give that last honor to Danny in 03-04. 

Guess it depends on your definition, but he went 60, 58, 65 from 02-04, then took another step to my eyes with a 90-point pace in ‘06.

But, as @Taro T says, the game did change, and his team was much better.

[Thorner]

1 minute ago, dudacek said:

Guess it depends on your definition, but he went 60, 58, 65 from 02-04, then took another step to my eyes with a 90-point pace in ‘06.

But, as @Taro T says, the game did change, and his team was much better.

Basing it off memory, I just remember thinking, "damn, this guy is the real deal" that year. I remember thinking too that, had they made the playoffs, they'd be going on a run. 

[Scottysabres]

This kid is coming in to his own. With his long reach I expect him to find the front of the net on the PP. a la Andreychuk style, he has the size.

But in the meantime, really liking his game this season.

[LGR4GM]

I was wrong about Tage Thompson, I thought we had seen what he had to offer and he was a 30pt lanky winger that was okay sometimes and bad others. Granato moving him to center completely changed his game and he looks like a beast on quite a few shifts. 

[PickaPecaPickles]

20 minutes ago, Scottysabres said:

This kid is coming in to his own. With his long reach I expect him to find the front of the net on the PP. a la Andreychuk style, he has the size.

But in the meantime, really liking his game this season.

Maybe it's his size, or the way he skates, or both, but it looks like he plays in 3rd gear, and has another one (or two) he can ratchet up to.

[Dr. Who]

It's like discovering a rare coin amongst the loose change in the sofa. I'm really shocked how good this fella is turning out to be.

[LGR4GM]

Is Tage quietly becoming or already is a #1 center?

He has 32pts in 42 games or... a 62ish point pace over a full season. 

Edited February 12, 2022 by LGR4GM

[bob_sauve28]

1 hour ago, LGR4GM said:

Is Tage quietly becoming or already is a #1 center?

He has 32pts in 42 games or... a 62ish point pace over a full season. 

Just hope there is enough talent on the team that he is just another well above average player lost in the crowd. He can’t do it himself