In August, when General Manager Kevyn Adams was in the throes of handling the latest chapter in the Jack Eichel saga, a possible solution at center for the Buffalo Sabres was preparing for the immense challenge ahead.
On a sheet of ice near his family’s home in Arizona, Tage Thompson practiced faceoffs against experienced NHL forwards, including Jay Beagle of the Coyotes, during informal on-ice workouts. There were conversations with Thompson’s younger brother, Tyce, a prospect of the New Jersey Devils with more recent experience at the position.
There was only so much Thompson could do at the time. Following the trade of Sam Reinhart, coach Don Granato called Thompson to inform him that a switch to center was likely after he spent his first 145 NHL games on the wing. Thompson played down the middle in college, but this was the best league in the world and the new role would bring more responsibility.
“I was open to it,” Thompson said following practice Wednesday in KeyBank Center. “I’ve played center before, so it’s not like it was something brand new for me. … I was able to kind of mentally get ready for that and the possibility of me playing center. Since I’ve been playing it in preseason and the start of the season, I like it. It feels good to be back in the middle. I feel comfortable, and I think it’s going to help my career, to be honest.”
On Monday, Nov. 16, the team introduced new reverse retro jerseys. Read more
The change has been mutually beneficial. In three games at center for the undefeated Sabres (3-0), Thompson has been among the club’s most impactful forwards. He has two goals while leading Buffalo forwards in ice time per game (17:22), shots on goal (tied-12), individual shot quality at 5-on-5 and high-danger scoring chances (14).
Thompson’s line – Victor Olofsson at right wing and Rasmus Asplund on the left – has helped stabilize a 5-on-5 offensive attack that’s without injured center Casey Mittelstadt. The trio has an 81.17% shot quality share, according to NaturalStatTrick.com, and has created 13 high danger scoring chances while allowing only two. Of all that’s gone well for Buffalo during this hot start, Thompson’s emergence at center could have the most significant long-term implications.
“I think Tage has been impressing a lot of people, including me, playing center,” said Asplund. “I think he’s done a great job and he’s translated really good to that center spot. We try to help each other, all of us. So, he’s doing really good.”
Granato beams every time he describes Thompson’s talent and potential. When Granato took over as interim coach on March 17 of last season, one of his first moves was to elevate Thompson back into a consistent spot in the lineup.
Former coach Ralph Krueger never showed patience with Thompson. Minor mistakes always led to a benching or lesser role. An impressive, albeit abbreviated, training camp in January earned Thompson a spot on the top line next to Eichel and Taylor Hall on opening night. The assignment didn’t last.
Granato was willing to let Thompson learn from mistakes. There was accountability, though. Thompson was benched after he took a bad penalty in the third period of a road loss to the New York Rangers on April 27. Still, Thompson had an encouraging finish to the season, totaling seven goals and 12 points in 25 games under Granato.
Rather than moving Thompson to center because he was struggling on the wing, the Sabres approached him with the plan because he has all the intangibles, including a 6-foot-7 frame, to thrive at the position.
“I think one of the big things with Tage Thompson is he has a level of confidence in his ability that I think has really started to shine in the center ice position,” said Sabres assistant coach Matt Ellis. “One of the things that we discussed as a staff is that him being in the middle, where he played a little bit previously, not necessarily at the NHL level, but it gives him the opportunity to really be involved a lot. His length, his range, his size down the middle from a defensive standpoint allows him to close quickly, take ice away, take time and space away. But him having the puck on his stick quite a bit, he’s done a great job driving plays. He’s involved, he’s aggressive, he’s hanging onto pucks and he’s really embraced that role.”
There have been no notable defensive lapses from Thompson, despite the increased responsibility without the puck. With the puck, Thompson is around the net more often. He was too much of a perimeter player earlier in his career, relying on a heavy shot to beat NHL goalies. However, Thompson is still trying to quicken his release because time and space don’t last long at this level. Being at the front of the net has led to more scoring opportunities, as evidenced Tuesday night with Thompson's goal off a rebound to give the Sabres a 4-2 lead over Vancouver.
Perhaps most impressive, Thompson has been outstanding in the faceoff dot. His faceoff win percentage (58.3) ranks second on the team and the matchups against the Canucks were difficult. Thompson took most of his draws against Elias Pettersson, Bo Horvat and J.T. Miller. Granato even used Thompson on a defensive-zone faceoff late in regulation of a shootout win over Arizona on Saturday.
It’s a trend the Sabres need to continue. Mittelstadt is out multiple weeks, Dylan Cozens is still only 20 years old and learning how to score in the NHL, Arttu Ruotsalainen may not have top-six upside at the position, and the Jack Quinn experiment at center didn’t last long in training camp. The Sabres' most experienced center, Cody Eakin, left practice Wednesday after a collision. It’s also unclear what the return will be when the Sabres inevitably trade Eichel.
No longer restricted by skating along the wall, Thompson is finally free to use his blend of speed, size and playmaking ability to make a difference in Buffalo.
“I knew coming into this year I would have to earn it, but I knew I would get some opportunity and looks,” Thompson said. “When you know you’re going to be on the ice and you’re going to get opportunity in all situations, you have confidence you know you’re going over the boards and you’re going to be going over a lot.
"If you make a mistake, you’re not really thinking about it too much because you know you’re going to go right back out and fix it. That’s a big thing for me in terms of confidence. If I know I’m going back out, I know I can have a short-term memory.”
