Do you sign Tage Thompson long-term this summer?

[dudacek]

WGR morning guys talking about how the Sabres need top talent to emerge to be a contender.

Saying maybe it will Dahlin, maybe it will be Power, but they’re really going to have to have someone else come out of nowhere to be really good.

Paraphrasing: Eichel was expected and it didn’t work out. Vanek was sort of expected, he was a top 10 pick. Myers teased as a rookie then disappointed. But the last time they really had someone come out of nowhere to be really good was probably Briere, maybe Pominville?

Tage Thompson was not mentioned.

Like we’ve seen from a lot of people in this thread, what he did last year and the player he has turned into is not getting the respect he deserves.

He finally got mentioned as an afterthought and then with skepticism.

Edited June 27, 2022 by dudacek

[sabremike]

4 hours ago, LabattBlue said:

Give it a rest.  It was bad enough mocking him when struggling.  Now it’s just idiotic. 👎🏻

Also: Giraffes are awesome.

[Taro T]

41 minutes ago, dudacek said:

WGR morning guys talking about how the Sabres need top talent to emerge to be a contender.

Saying maybe it will Dahlin, maybe it will be Power, but they’re really going to have to have someone else come out of nowhere to be really good.

Paraphrasing: Eichel was expected and it didn’t work out. Vanek was sort of expected, he was a top 10 pick. Myers teased as a rookie then disappointed. But the last time they really had someone come out of nowhere to be really good was probably Briere, maybe Pominville?

Tage Thompson was not mentioned.

Like we’ve seen from a lot of people in this thread, what he did last year and the player he has turned into is not getting the respect he deserves.

He finally got mentioned as an afterthought and then with skepticism.

But that could be said about significant portions of the entire roster.  Sentiments we're still seeing this summer.  (Not universally, but they're still there.)

Thompson's a bottom 6 winger w/ no hockey sense that might be an OK C but probably not a 1 or a 2.  (OK, the 1st part of that's pretty much been dispelled, but the latter half is still there as your post highlights.)

Okposo's a 4th liner.

Olofsson won't be worth his next contract & should be traded.  (Presumably because he's only a PP goal scorer w/ no defensive awareness.)

Mittelstadt might be OK as a 3rd line C or middle 6 wing but is absolutely not a top 6C nor a leader because he's lazy and is trade bait.

Cozens IS the future C and 1st line C in waiting.

Krebs is too small & probably needs more time in Ra-cha-cha.

To name just a few.

 

And, some of that might still be the case (and hoping it is w/ Cozens) but there was a lot that happened this past season that puts many of those projections in doubt.  (And ftr, if the Cozens projection isn't correct IMHO it's because he very likely could be their 2 way shut down C or a top 6 W (& just not seeing true 1C out of him so far though he's young & maybe that comes) and there are some guys like Tuch & Dahlin (to just name 2) ahead of him in the pecking order as far getting a letter may be concerned.)

It seems to take at least 2 years to fully change perceptions & only that little if people are paying attention.

[PerreaultForever]

2 minutes ago, Taro T said:

It seems to take at least 2 years to fully change perceptions & only that little if people are paying attention.

and people will pay attention if we win games. Perceptions will not change, and they shouldn't, if we don't win games. 

[Taro T]

3 minutes ago, sabremike said:

Also: Giraffes are awesome.

Yeah, it may have started out as mockery, but this last year our baby giraffe got all grown up & he is now 1 kick arse fine hockey playing fully grown giraffe that the lions & tigers DON'T want to #### with.

The elephants might be willing to #### with him, but they'll wish they hadn't.  😉

 

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, PerreaultForever said:

and people will pay attention if we win games. Perceptions will not change, and they shouldn't, if we don't win games. 

Yes, because if Adams brings back the equivalent in net of Anderson, Dell, & UPL all those other takes will be proven out as truer than the Gospel & the team's losing will be proof of their lack of growth.  <_<

[Curt]

1 hour ago, dudacek said:

WGR morning guys talking about how the Sabres need top talent to emerge to be a contender.

Saying maybe it will Dahlin, maybe it will be Power, but they’re really going to have to have someone else come out of nowhere to be really good.

Paraphrasing: Eichel was expected and it didn’t work out. Vanek was sort of expected, he was a top 10 pick. Myers teased as a rookie then disappointed. But the last time they really had someone come out of nowhere to be really good was probably Briere, maybe Pominville?

Tage Thompson was not mentioned.

Like we’ve seen from a lot of people in this thread, what he did last year and the player he has turned into is not getting the respect he deserves.

He finally got mentioned as an afterthought and then with skepticism.

Listening to it now.  They were pretty full of it, to be honest.  Just going on and on about how it’s elite players who win cups, how Sabres don’t have any, how Sabres never have any players who surpass expectations, and how they should trade multiple picks to move up in the draft if there is a player they think can be elite.  It was mostly just hot air filling air time, in my opinion.  Of course you need elite players to win a championship, but you need depth too.  Ask Edmonton, ask Boston.

[dudacek]

13 minutes ago, Curt said:

Listening to it now.  They were pretty full of it, to be honest.  Just going on and on about how it’s elite players who win cups, how Sabres don’t have any, how Sabres never have any players who surpass expectations, and how they should trade multiple picks to move up in the draft if there is a player they think can be elite.  It was mostly just hot air filling air time, in my opinion.  Of course you need elite players to win a championship, but you need depth too.  Ask Edmonton, ask Boston.

There’s more than one way to win a cup.

Why can’t Dahlin/Power be Neidermeyer/Pronger and Cozens/Quinn Kesler/Perry?

Maybe Tage can’t be a Getzlaf, maybe he can. Maybe Devon Levi can be an elite goalie, unlike Giguere.

Who was the Ducks Samuelsson, their Tuch, their Peterka? Their William van Barnekow-Lofgren?

People know how these guys are going to turn out about as well as they knew a team could never win with Nazem Kadri as their 2C.

[nfreeman]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

Tage Thompson was not mentioned.

Like we’ve seen from a lot of people in this thread, what he did last year and the player he has turned into is not getting the respect he deserves.

He finally got mentioned as an afterthought and then with skepticism.

2 things:

- I think the WGR morning guys are thoroughly mediocre.

- Nevertheless, it is true that TT has delivered a single good season, and it's not unreasonable to reserve judgment until he repeats it.  If he does so this year, which I think is reasonably likely?  Then, yes, he is absolutely the kind of guy, which contenders do need, that comes out of nowhere and becomes a star.

Am I very psyched to see whether TT can bring it again, this time with a healthy Tuch, VO and Krebs for a full season, plus Quinn and JJP up front and a blossoming Dahlin, plus Power, on D, all of whom are going to create offense, and a real NHL goalie giving everyone more confidence?  Hayell-yes.  Do I think he will?  Probably, but I'm not putting it in the bank just yet.

The Sabres haven't yet earned the benefit of the doubt.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, nfreeman said:

2 things:

- I think the WGR morning guys are thoroughly mediocre.

- Nevertheless, it is true that TT has delivered a single good season, and it's not unreasonable to reserve judgment until he repeats it.  If he does so this year, which I think is reasonably likely?  Then, yes, he is absolutely the kind of guy, which contenders do need, that comes out of nowhere and becomes a star.

Am I very psyched to see whether TT can bring it again, this time with a healthy Tuch, VO and Krebs for a full season, plus Quinn and JJP up front and a blossoming Dahlin, plus Power, on D, all of whom are going to create offense, and a real NHL goalie giving everyone more confidence?  Hayell-yes.  Do I think he will?  Probably, but I'm not putting it in the bank just yet.

The Sabres haven't yet earned the benefit of the doubt.

The Sabres have not. Thompson has.

At least as much as any 3rd year player has.

Tage earned everything he got last year - persevering through Botterill’s stupidity, Krueger’s idiocy, a serious injury, the ROR backlash, the minors, and his fiancé’s cancer scare - with class and effort.

He just fell victim to a mistaken narrative that was tacked to him early on.

It’s weird how much people’s opinions are shaped by first impressions as opposed to what they actually see.

In his third season Jack Eichel had 25 goals and 65 points and was given $10 million, handed the captain’s C.

In his third season Tage Thompson had 38 goals and 68 points.

I’m just saying.

Edited June 27, 2022 by dudacek

[Taro T]

56 minutes ago, dudacek said:

The Sabres have not. Thompson has.

At least as much as any 3rd year player has.

Tage earned everything he got last year - persevering through Botterill’s stupidity, Krueger’s idiocy, a serious injury, the ROR backlash, the minors, and his fiancé’s cancer scare - with class and effort.

He just fell victim to a mistaken narrative.

It’s weird how much people’s opinions are shaped by first impressions as opposed to what they actually see.

In his third season Jack Eichel had 25 goals and 65 points and was given $10 million, handed the captain’s C.

In his third season Tage Thompson had 38 goals and 68 points.

I’m just saying.

Not telling you anything you didn't already know, but getting 65 points at 20 is usually viewed as having more room to grow than getting 68 at 24.  Still room to grow, especially when circumstances have changed so significantly as they have for Thompson this year; but would be shocked if his ceiling is ~60 games of 120 point pace (which has been roughly Eichel's peak production to date).

[PerreaultForever]

2 hours ago, Curt said:

Listening to it now.  They were pretty full of it, to be honest.  Just going on and on about how it’s elite players who win cups, how Sabres don’t have any, how Sabres never have any players who surpass expectations, and how they should trade multiple picks to move up in the draft if there is a player they think can be elite.  It was mostly just hot air filling air time, in my opinion.  Of course you need elite players to win a championship, but you need depth too.  Ask Edmonton, ask Boston.

They are totally full of it. You can always say we need more elite players, we need more talent, whatever. It's a silly argument. Obviously, the more skill you have on a team the better it's chances, but it's still a team sport and a lot of things go into it. I mean Connor McDavid had the most points. Draisaitl had the most assists and Evander Kane had the most goals, but none of them played in the final . Although McKinnon had the most shots on goal Arturi Kehkonen had the most game winning goals (so I guess that makes him elite). 

Hitting in the draft is what really matters. Makar obviously, but how about Bowen Byram who was damn impressive all series. Many pieces go into the mix. 

[French Collection]

32 minutes ago, PerreaultForever said:

They are totally full of it. You can always say we need more elite players, we need more talent, whatever. It's a silly argument. Obviously, the more skill you have on a team the better it's chances, but it's still a team sport and a lot of things go into it. I mean Connor McDavid had the most points. Draisaitl had the most assists and Evander Kane had the most goals, but none of them played in the final . Although McKinnon had the most shots on goal Arturi Kehkonen had the most game winning goals (so I guess that makes him elite). 

Hitting in the draft is what really matters. Makar obviously, but how about Bowen Byram who was damn impressive all series. Many pieces go into the mix. 

I posted this in another thread, the Avs have 6 of their own first rounders plus 7 first rounders from other teams.

The draft matters.

Depth matters in the playoffs, injuries deplete lineups and tighter checking can shut down superstars.

[Curt]

2 hours ago, dudacek said:

In his third season Jack Eichel had 25 goals and 65 points and was given $10 million, handed the captain’s C.

In his third season Tage Thompson had 38 goals and 68 points.

I’m just saying.

64 points.......in 67 games.  I know you were making a larger point but I’m just saying.

 

1 hour ago, Taro T said:

Not telling you anything you didn't already know, but getting 65 points at 20 is usually viewed as having more room to grow than getting 68 at 24.  Still room to grow, especially when circumstances have changed so significantly as they have for Thompson this year; but would be shocked if his ceiling is ~60 games of 120 point pace (which has been roughly Eichel's peak production to date).

21, but yeah.

When did Eichel play at a 120 point pace for 60ish games?  I don’t think his numbers were ever that good.

[Taro T]

1 minute ago, Curt said:

64 points.......in 67 games.  I know you were making a larger point but I’m just saying.

 

21, but yeah.

When did Eichel play at a 120 point pace for 60ish games?  I don’t think his numbers were ever that good.

Couldn't recall ottomh if it was the 3rd Eichel season that he played close 80 games; was pretty sure it wasn't that year but not positive w/out looking it up so just left it at 65 points.

And, yeah, it wasn't a 120 point pace, it was only a 105 point pace through 60 in '19-'20.   Oops.  🍺.  Still way better than anything we've seen since Briere.

[postseasonblues]

I see little reason to sign him early, I like Tage as a player, but it really was one year. Before that he produced 35 point over 145 games in his first 4 years of his career. It might be different if he progressed up to last years production season to season, but it has not been that path. He never had more than 8 goals or 6 assists in a season.

If he is what we saw last season, even if that is his ceiling, they could save a few mil/yr over the length of the contract.

If they sign him and they're wrong about getting that every year. it will hurt the team when they need to pay others.

Paying him early after one very good season is not good business nor a good way to build a team.

[Doohicksie]

On 6/25/2022 at 12:25 PM, French Collection said:

As you say, wants to be there.

He knows the organization traded a big piece for him, he has worked hard to develop and has become a key component of an emerging group of like minded individuals.

Using my Ben Stiller voice to say Do it, do it, do it!

Yes, and the Sabres developed Ullmark through his hip surgery and allowed him leave from the team when his father was sick and dying.  Surely he wants to stay with the team that was so good to him when he was down.  🙄  Players might go for that kind of drivel but their agents don't, unfortunately.

[bob_sauve28]

No clue whatsoever is this legit 

[LGR4GM]

1 hour ago, bob_sauve28 said:

No clue whatsoever is this legit 

Probably. 

[That Aud Smell]

On 6/24/2022 at 10:21 AM, SHAAAUGHT!!! said:

That is a major reason I wouldn't hesitate to go 7years/$50M with Tage.   

*Stick taps*