Tage Thompson Reveals Changes He Made During Breakout Campaign
Tage Thompson had an incredible season in '21-22, nearly quintupling his career high in points from the year prior. His 68-point season netted him a fat payday, having signed a monster $50 million extension with the Buffalo Sabres the other day.
But what changed? How was Thompson able to nearly 5x his previous output? He joined NHL Network, explaining what changed and how he was able to produce at such an impressive clip.
Thompson said the switch to center provided a steep learning curve, but it enabled him to settle into each game, making him more comfortable. It didn't hurt that he tacked on some muscle to help fill out his 6'7'' frame. But the shift to the middle helped his confidence, giving him a better feel for the game. As a center, one tends to be more plugged into the subtle nuances of a game. The center position has been described as a liaison between offense and defense, so it does offer a deeper connection to the other four guys on the ice, enabling perhaps stronger output for some.
Thompson is poised for a big season in 2022-23, but with great power (money) comes great responsibility. Thompson's new contract does not kick in until 2023-24, so there is still time for his deal to look like highway robbery. However, the Sabres took on fair risk signing Thompson to a massive extension with only one season of top-production.
| POLL | ||
SEPTEMBRE 3 | 214 ANSWERS Tage Thompson Reveals Changes He Made During Breakout Campaign Is Tage Thompson legit or did Buffalo pay him too early? | ||
| He's legit | 72 | 33.6 % |
| Paid him too early | 142 | 66.4 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
| G | A | PTS | ||
| Zachary Werenski | 2 | 3 | 5 | |
| Sean Monahan | 1 | 3 | 4 | |
| Jesper Bratt | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Frederick Gaudreau | 2 | 1 | 3 | |
| Jack Hughes | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Nikita Kucherov | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Mackenzie Weegar | - | 3 | 3 | |
| Kent Johnson | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Alexander Wennberg | 2 | - | 2 | |
| Mitchell Chaffee | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Anthony Cirelli | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Matthew Coronato | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Marcus Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Nick Foligno | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Conor Geekie | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Brandon Hagel | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Stefan Noesen | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Corey Perry | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Igor Sharangovich | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Dmitry Voronkov | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| Complete stats | ||||
| STANDINGS 2024-2025 | ||||||
TOP 10 | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | |
Jets | 19 | 16 | 3 | - | 32 | |
Hurricanes | 18 | 14 | 4 | - | 28 | |
Capitals | 18 | 13 | 4 | 1 | 27 | |
Wild | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 27 | |
Maple Leafs | 20 | 12 | 6 | 2 | 26 | |
Devils | 21 | 12 | 7 | 2 | 26 | |
Rangers | 17 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 25 | |
Panthers | 19 | 12 | 6 | 1 | 25 | |
Stars | 18 | 12 | 6 | - | 24 | |
Golden Knights | 19 | 11 | 6 | 2 | 24 | |
| Conference | Cumulative | ||||||