Last season, the best player for the Buffalo Sabres was 25-year-old centerman Tage Thompson. He led the team in goals (47) and points (94) and tied his linemate Jeff Skinner for second in assists (47). With the top line producing numbers like this and all the other pieces falling into place, this upcoming 2023-24 season is the most hyped Sabres team in some time, and many people feel this is the year the playoff drought ends.
As far as the postseason goes, the Sabres will only go as far as their young goaltending will take them, and it seems like it will be a few more seasons until they have the entire league on notice. Thompson is one Sabres player who did that last season with his play, and because of his leap forward, it’s easy to see him becoming the first 50-goal scorer for Buffalo since Alexander Mogilny and Pat LaFontaine in 1992-93.
Thompson Was Close to 50 Last Season and Is the Sabres’ Best Scorer
Obviously, Thompson becoming a 50-goal scorer isn’t some type of bold prediction for the season simply due to the fact that he already put up 47 goals in 78 games last season. Had he not been injured for four games, there’s a very good chance he already would have been a 50-goal scorer. However, that was not the case. But this season, it seems likely that he will take another leap in his game and become a 100-point-plus player in addition to the 50 goals.
Related: Sabres Player 2022-23 Season Report Card: Tage Thompson
Thompson’s line consisting of Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch is already a very offensively gifted and provides a huge boost to his goalscoring, as both wingers have solid playmaking ability. They both scored 35 goals of their own last season as well. With Thompson adding 47 tallies of his own, this line was the second-highest scoring in the entire league at 5-on-5 in 2022-23. As the trio enters its second full season playing together, I expect it to be even better 5-on-5 this season, which is a very scary thing for the league.
Sabres Could Be Scary if Thompson Develops an Ability to Use His Size
At 6-foot-6 and 220 pounds, Thompson is one of the biggest centers in the entire league. But unfortunately for him and the Sabres, he hasn’t really used that frame to his advantage. A player this size shying away from contact seems odd, and that’s because it is. Despite his already incredible offensive skillset, if he were to add a more physical edge to his game, it would take him and the Sabres to another level.
Anything from being a net-front presence to throwing the occasional hit would be a good start to him being a physical presence. His size almost automatically makes you assume he would be a player who loves standing in front and tipping the puck into the net for most of his goals. In reality, however, most of them come off his wicked shot, including almost all in the five-goal game he had against the Columbus Blue Jackets. If he starts throwing his body around come playoff time, that will be a complete difference-maker, especially in a more physical series.
Thompson breaking the 50-goal plateau really is not a very bold prediction, as I said before, but it doesn’t need to be. This team hasn’t had a 50-goal scorer in 31 seasons, and breaking that drought in the same year that the playoff drought looks like it’s going to end finally means things are moving in the right direction after a tumultuous last decade-plus. If anyone on the 2023-24 Sabres breaks the 50-goal mark, it’s Thompson.
