Is Tage Thompson a top 10 NHL player? Is he top 5?

[mjd1001]

This year I'd say he is in the top 5.  

2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th....maybe even 6th.  There are a bunch of players that can all fit in that area based on who is doing the evaluation and what criteria they are using....but I would put Thompson in that mix.

[Brawndo]

 

[Quint]

Can Thompson score 100 goals?

 

Edited January 7, 2023 by Quint

[Eleven]

1 hour ago, Quint said:

Can Thompson score 100 goals?

Doesn't he already have about 90 or so?

[Quint]

6 hours ago, Eleven said:

Doesn't he already have about 90 or so?

in a season.

[GASabresIUFAN]

8 hours ago, Eleven said:

Doesn't he already have about 90 or so?

Maybe after tonight’s game.

[Eleven]

4 hours ago, Quint said:

in a season.

No, that's not going to happen.

[MBD]

After last night's game, he's the NHL's leading goal scorer on a per game basis.

[Kruppstahl]

26 minutes ago, MBD said:

After last night's game, he's the NHL's leading goal scorer on a per game basis.

What "scares" me (in a good way) about him is that he seems to have the skill to do what he does CONSISTENTLY.

There's really no reason for his production to just shut off. The guy has huge size and reach and he has already learned how to use his body as a shield like Lemieux, Andreychuk, and Jagr did...unbelievable hands and puck control...and best of all---ENORMOUS PATIENCE.

The dude should be a perennial 50 goal man.

What an unbelievable turn of events!  I had this guy written off for DEAD for several seasons after the trade..now he's making me forget about the Conn Smythe winner we traded for him.

 

 

[MBD]

43 minutes ago, Kruppstahl said:

What "scares" me (in a good way) about him is that he seems to have the skill to do what he does CONSISTENTLY.

There's really no reason for his production to just shut off. The guy has huge size and reach and he has already learned how to use his body as a shield like Lemieux, Andreychuk, and Jagr did...unbelievable hands and puck control...and best of all---ENORMOUS PATIENCE.

The dude should be a perennial 50 goal man.

What an unbelievable turn of events!  I had this guy written off for DEAD for several seasons after the trade..now he's making me forget about the Conn Smythe winner we traded for him.

It seemed like a throwaway in the trade.  Someone said that Botterill wanted 2 other players from STL before him.

[DarthEbriate]

I read this in the following scenario: I'm drafting a lineup to win a playoff series (or one game) right now. No ages concerns, salary concerns, no future development, etc.. Right now. I need 3 forwards and 2 D. Do I pick Tage for that lineup? Not a chance. In the top 10, meaning I'm picking 6 F and 4 D? No, probably not. I can think of at least 2 centers I'd take right now to win a game tonight in a playoff scenario where the opposition is going to match lines and be on the all-out defensive against him. Now... do I draft him within my top 10 centers? Yes I do.

Now -- if you want to consider age, salary, term, and his future development -- then we're talking maybe top 10 skaters. And definitely in the very top of centers. He'll never surpass #1C in the league though. He's just not McDavid. His two-way game still needs a lot of progress and he'll get there. He's been a center for only 120 games. He'll improve defensively and get stronger on the puck, and his situational awareness will improve (you can't dawdle inside your own blue line 3-on-3 with Pastrnak -- their most dangerous scorer -- closing in on your back hip), and heck, he'll get better at faceoffs, too.

[dudacek]

1 hour ago, MBD said:

It seemed like a throwaway in the trade.  Someone said that Botterill wanted 2 other players from STL before him.

Randy Sexton recently said in the athletic that Botterill insisted on Tage, which is something Doug Armstrong said at the time of the trade as well.

Revisionist history? Sure he did because he was told Kyrou and Thomas were unavailable?

I have no idea, but I do know that I never heard the “settled for the 3rd or 5th best prospect” from any source other than pissed off Sabre fans or gloating Blues fans.

[Porous Five Hole]

1 hour ago, MBD said:

It seemed like a throwaway in the trade.  Someone said that Botterill wanted 2 other players from STL before him.

Actually Botts deserves the credit for Tage.  Armstrong was asked why Tage was the prospect sent out (instead of Kyrou or Thomas) and he replied that, “Buffalo wanted Thompson.” It was during his press conference.  

[Sabres Fan in NS]

JBot liked what he saw as great potential in Tage.

Tage was set back terribly by RaKru.

All the credit for his development of what he has become goes to DM.  And to KA for giving him the time needed, which really wasn't that much.

[MBD]

3 hours ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

JBot liked what he saw as great potential in Tage.

Tage was set back terribly by RaKru.

All the credit for his development of what he has become goes to DM.  And to KA for giving him the time needed, which really wasn't that much.

The majority goes to TNT. 

[Pimlach]

4 hours ago, Sabres Fan in NS said:

JBot liked what he saw as great potential in Tage.

Tage was set back terribly by RaKru.

All the credit for his development of what he has become goes to DM.  And to KA for giving him the time needed, which really wasn't that much.

The entire team was.  Dahlin and Skinner especially.  

[LGR4GM]

I'm going with yes, he's definitely a top 10 player. 

 

[Huckleberry]

Cheapest top 10 player in the league too 🙂

[Thorner]

11 minutes ago, LGR4GM said:

I'm going with yes, he's definitely a top 10 player. 

 

He’s having a top 10 season in the NHL, ya. Going to be tough for the opposition to knock him off significantly, size isn’t everything but when you have little man’s skill and, as an opponent, the size is what you need to get beyond, to attack said skill...well, in the words of Lucius Fox: “Good luck”. Things like this fluctuate and can be heavily subjective so can I see him being, say, top 20 next season? Top 5 the next? So forth? Ya. 
 

The rub is that Tage being a top 10 NHL player right now means we have 2 top 10 NHL players right now 

[Taro T]

8 minutes ago, Thorny said:

He’s having a top 10 season in the NHL, ya. Going to be tough for the opposition to knock him off significantly, size isn’t everything but when you have little man’s skill and, as an opponent, the size is what you need to get beyond, to attack said skill...well, in the words of Lucius Fox: “Good luck”. Things like this fluctuate and can be heavily subjective so can I see him being, say, top 20 next season? Top 5 the next? So forth? Ya. 
 

The rub is that Tage being a top 10 NHL player right now means we have 2 top 10 NHL players right now 

The real rub is that about the time he's faltering from that there are 2 potential replacements for him on that list already in house and getting significant playing time.

They're soon to be like a hydra; chop off 1 head & 2 more replace it.  😉

PS.  Yes, they have 2 top 10 players but only 1 representative in the AS weekend festivities.  This bites.

[Thorner]

5 minutes ago, Taro T said:

The real rub is that about the time he's faltering from that there are 2 potential replacements for him on that list already in house and getting significant playing time.

They're soon to be like a hydra; chop off 1 head & 2 more replace it.  😉

Cozens and? 

[Taro T]

5 minutes ago, Thorny said:

Cozens and? 

He-Man (I have the POWER!!!!!)

[GASabresIUFAN]

Who are your top 10 players?

McDavid, Mckinnon, Kucherov, Pastrnak, and Draisatl certainly make the list! What about Matthews, Marner, Stamkos, Sid, Rantanen?

Makar, Fox, and Hedman?

The 3 Russian Goalies? 

Where do Dahlin and Thompson fit?  Honestly I feel Dahlin is closer to a top 10 player right now than Thompson.  Although Thompson and Robertson are probably top 20 at this point. 

Where does TnT place with Top center McDavid, Draisatl, McKinnon and Matthews? 

Edited January 26, 2023 by GASabresIUFAN

[Thorner]

Making a top 10 list is kinda funny because a more representative list would be: 

1 McDavid 

- 
- 

-

2 10-15 guys who are all pretty close / comes down to what you want / depends on the season / depends on the week / all have a valid argument...type stuff

I don’t know that there’s enough of a gap between many spaces in the top 10 after McDavid to think it’s at a level to offset the variables like team and line mate strength, etc. To the point of being able to form any kind of definitive list 

It’s certainly a fun discussion though.  but it’s Connor McDavid, and then after a sizeable gap, a bunch of guys who have an argument for 2nd.

[dudacek]

4 hours ago, Thorny said:

Making a top 10 list is kinda funny because a more representative list would be: 

1 McDavid 

- 
- 

-

2 10-15 guys who are all pretty close / comes down to what you want / depends on the season / depends on the week / all have a valid argument...type stuff

I don’t know that there’s enough of a gap between many spaces in the top 10 after McDavid to think it’s at a level to offset the variables like team and line mate strength, etc. To the point of being able to form any kind of definitive list 

It’s certainly a fun discussion though.  but it’s Connor McDavid, and then after a sizeable gap, a bunch of guys who have an argument for 2nd.

Such a year-to-year thing, isn't it? And a lot of it is determined out of the hype centres that generate so much of the internet chatter.

One of these guys is having easily his 2nd-best statistical season ever, the other easily his best:

47 25/28/53 +20

47 23/30/53 +13

The former will be in almost every conversation about top 5 players in the league.

The latter probably won't be mentioned in many conversations about the top 50.

They are tied for 20th in NHL scoring.