The Buffalo Sabres are about to get a big boost to their lineup, as center Tage Thompson will be returning for Tuesday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Thompson, 26, had missed the past nine games due to an upper-body injury that he suffered on November 14 against the Boston Bruins after a puck hit his hand during a blocked shot attempt. The Sabres went 3-5-1 without Thompson in the lineup, so they’ll hope that his return helps them towards their playoff push.
Thompson’s had a disappointing season so far with just six goals and six assists for 12 points in 16 games, a far cry from his 47-goal, 94-point season last year. Even if he was able to play a full 82-game season, his current pace would only get him 61 points. Despite the slow start this year, he’s been one of the best goal scorers in the league since 2021, as his 1.19 5v5 goals per 60 minutes ties him for eighth in the league in that span.
Thompson was a former 26th-overall pick of the St. Louis Blues in the 2016 NHL Draft, and had spent parts of two professional seasons with the Blues organization before he was dealt to the Sabres in the 2019 offseason as part of the return for Ryan O’Reilly. He’s gone on to play for the Sabres in his past six seasons, establishing himself as one of the league’s best players in 2022.
Thompson is currently in the first year of a seven-year contract with a cap hit of $7,142,857, a deal he signed as an extension after his strong 2021-22 season where he had 38 goals and 68 points in 78 games.
Thompson looks to be slotting on the top line alongside Jeff Skinner and Casey Mittelstadt, a line combination that’s currently only played 12 seconds together across five games. Thompson comes into the lineup in place of Alex Tuch, who will miss the next week or so with an injury.
The Sabres will look to end their three-game losing streak in Thompson's return. Buffalo currently sits in seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 10-13-2 record, and is five points out of the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
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