Is Tage Thompson a top 15 center in the NHL?

[LGR4GM]

Well?

[GASabresIUFAN]

No!  He probably isn’t even in the top 30.   He  was 45th in pts per game by centers last year who played at least 50 games and 31st in total goals scored.  
 

 

Edited September 20 by GASabresIUFAN

[Archie Lee]

He needs a significant bounce back to be in the top 40. 
 

Maybe a little harsh. Make that top 30. 

Edited September 20 by Archie Lee

[nfreeman]

2 years ago he definitely was, and probably better than top 15 for that matter.  Last year?   Not so much.

He has a ton of skill and I think a pretty good attitude.  He’s pretty fast once he gets going.  Not sure about his hockey IQ either way.  Durability is also an open question.  

We’ll find out this year.

[LETSTUCHINGO]

I believe that he is. Obviously was hurt all last season, so you can't judge him by last year. This season we will find out for certain. This year is a put up or shut up for the team and a number of core players on it (Cozens, Mule, Bowen, JJ, Quinny, Krebs, etc).

[Weave]

I need more data.

[GASabresIUFAN]

9 minutes ago, LETSTUCHINGO said:

I believe that he is. Obviously was hurt all last season, so you can't judge him by last year. This season we will find out for certain. This year is a put up or shut up for the team and a number of core players on it (Cozens, Mule, Bowen, JJ, Quinny, Krebs, etc).

Even if average his last 3 seasons,  therefore giving him credit for his career year, his points per game puts him outside at 20th.  

 

[LETSTUCHINGO]

31 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No!  He probably isn’t even in the top 30.   He  was 45th in pts per game by centers last year who played at least 50 games and 31st in total goals scored.  
 

 

He was hurt.

[DarthEbriate]

What did we all say the last time we asked ourselves this question?

For historical reference:

Edited September 20 by DarthEbriate

[LGR4GM]

17 minutes ago, Weave said:

I need more data.

Odd request but sure:

[GASabresIUFAN]

1 minute ago, LETSTUCHINGO said:

He was hurt.

You don’t think other players go hurt and played through them as well? It’s hockey, everyone gets hurts and plays through nagging injuries.  
 

 

[Night Train]

 Top 15 don't float back on D. 

 Hopefully Lindy cures that major issue with many on this roster, including Tage. 

[LETSTUCHINGO]

9 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

You don’t think other players go hurt and played through them as well? It’s hockey, everyone gets hurts and plays through nagging injuries.  
 

 

Absolutely and depending on the injury their numbers go down. Do you not think we should take that into consideration? Especially seeing how it was a hand injury. This year will cement him one way or another. Agree?

Edited September 20 by LETSTUCHINGO

[That Aud Smell]

He has been. 

It's unclear whether he is.

Or if he will be.

Ooof on the use of "has been."

[dudacek]

51 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

No!  He probably isn’t even in the top 30.   He  was 45th in pts per game by centers last year who played at least 50 games and 31st in total goals scored.  
 

 

He has also scored more goals over the past 3 years than all but 6 other NHL centres.

To answer the thread, he was two years ago and he wasn't last year.

Personally, I expect him to flirt with 40 goals and 80 points this year, probably falling a bit short of each.

So maybe?

Edited September 20 by dudacek

[GoPuckYourself]

I hope he is but the realist in me says top 25-30 is more likely. I hope I’m wrong though it would be awesome to see!

[GASabresIUFAN]

The problem with the question is that he is easily not in the top 10

Here are 11 names that Tage is certainly below; McDavid, Draisaitl, McKinnon, Matthews, Hughes, Miller (284 pts the last 3 years), Petterson, Point, Crosby, Barkov, and Stamkos. 
 

Then you get into the next group.  Guys like Eichel, Reinhart, Aho, Zibanajed, Larkin, Guentzel, Barzal, Stutzle, Thomas, Bedard, and Tavares. I can see Tage in this group.  Better than some, but worse than others.  

[GASabresIUFAN]

10 minutes ago, dudacek said:

He has also scored more goals over the past 3 years than all but 6 other NHL centres.

He is actually 8th.  

He is also 40th in assists and 22nd in total points.  

 

[GASabresIUFAN]

18 minutes ago, LETSTUCHINGO said:

Absolutely and depending on the injury their numbers go down. Do you not think we should take that into consideration? Especially seeing how it was a hand injury. This year will cement him one way or another. Agree?

No.  I think it’s fair to say that at his best he is an above average 1st line center, but far from the elite players at his position.  

[dudacek]

3 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

The problem with the question is that he is easily not in the top 10

Here are 11 names that Tage is certainly below; McDavid, Draisaitl, McKinnon, Matthews, Hughes, Miller (284 pts the last 3 years), Petterson, Point, Crosby, Barkov, and Stamkos. 
 

Then you get into the next group.  Guys like Eichel, Reinhart, Aho, Zibanajed, Larkin, Guentzel, Barzal, Stutzle, Thomas, Bedard, and Tavares. I can see Tage in this group.  Better than some, but worse than others.  

I might not choose the exact same names, but generally this seems fair.

He's 19th in points over the past 3 years (Sorry NHL, Guentzel and Reinhart are not centres)

He's within 15 points of 13th and within 15 points of 32nd.

 

[dudacek]

9 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He is actually 8th.  

He is also 40th in assists and 22nd in total points.  

 

Like I said above, Reinhart is not a centre. Neither is Guentzel.

HUberdeau is the other winger listed ahead of him on the points list.

(I don't think Stamkos has played much centre over that period, but I'm not arguing that one)

Edited September 20 by dudacek

[thewookie1]

When healthy, Tage is definitely Top 15 in terms of offense. As a whole when including defensive play, which did improve a bit last year, he's likely somewhere between 15 and 20 OA in the league.

3 minutes ago, dudacek said:

Like I said above, Reinhart is not a centre. Neither is Guentzel.

HUberdeau is the other winger listed ahead of him on the points list.

(I don't think Stamkos has played much centre over that period, but I'm not arguing that one)

Stamkos wasn't a center in Tampa the last couple years. 

30 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

You don’t think other players go hurt and played through them as well? It’s hockey, everyone gets hurts and plays through nagging injuries.  

Last year, his specific injury greatly impacted his greatest asset in his stickhandling and shot. Imagine if McDavid lost most of his speed for a year; he'd still put up points for sure but wouldn't be the same player in the slightest. 

[Thorner]

59 minutes ago, Weave said:

I need more data.

So, no 

[Thorner]

59 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

Even if average his last 3 seasons,  therefore giving him credit for his career year, his points per game puts him outside at 20th.  

 

He doesn’t have an established sample size to the extent we can just “write last year off”. Last year could be “him” as much as anything. He’s 27 and has like a year or two left of his prime. Waiting around on prospects never made sense - if KA ultimately doesn’t work out, we’ll almost certainly be looking back at the lack of action after finishing 1 point out 

Could Tage have a top 15 C season this year? I think it’s definitely possible. But I’d say it’s unlikely he carves that out as mainstay designation. He’d have to stabilize as that for several years and there isn’t a ton of runway especially for a man of his size

Edited September 20 by Thorny

[Thorner]

27 minutes ago, GASabresIUFAN said:

He is actually 8th.  

He is also 40th in assists and 22nd in total points.  

 

And nothing to write home about defensively. Never understood the cherry picking of goals 

Edited September 20 by Thorny