Buffalo Sabres star Tage Thompson met with media this week, weighing in to The Hockey News on a slew of topics – including how he'd love to have Winnipeg Jets superstar netminder Connor Hellebuyck in a Sabres uniform. And Thompson went on to gush over a pair of departed Sabres stars.
Timothy T. Ludwig, USA TODAY SportsThe Buffalo Sabres are entering the 2026-27 season with confidence and great hope that they can build on their excellent season that saw them win the Atlantic Division in the regular-season, then make it to the second round of the Stanley Cup playoffs. And this week, as part of the NHL’s media tour, Sabres star Tage Thompson weighed in on a number of topics, including the loss of veterans Alex Tuch and Bowen Byram – and a personal wish list that includes current star goalie Connor Hellebuyck of the Winnipeg Jets.
Hellebuyck has made it public that he wants out of Winnipeg, and Thompson positively gushed over Hellebuyck’s skills, which he got to see up close as teammates on Team U.S.A. at the 2026 Winer Olympics. At the same time, Thompson said he was confident in Buffalo’s netminding if a Hellebuyck blockbuster trade doesn’t materialize.
“We would love to have him in Buffalo – I'm sure every team in the league would love to have him,” Thompson said of Hellebuyck. “He's the best in the world, I think. There's things that are out of your control, and, you know, we'd love to have him, but if that doesn't happen, then we just move forward with the group we got. We have three talented goalies that all played great last year for us when we needed them, and we just need each guy to take another step.”
Thompson was equally complimentary to two now-former Sabres players – star winger Alex Tuch, who left for the Washington Capitals in a sign-and-trade; and star defenseman Bowen Byram, who was dealt to the Chicago Blackhawks. When asked by reporters what underrated games some players have, Thompson pointed immediately at Tuch.
“(It’s) his ability to steal pucks and takeaways,” Thompson said of Tuch. “He's got such a good stick.
"And that’s something I think is a very underappreciated skill. I think a lot of it is natural ability, gifts, instincts, whatever you want to call it. I think there's definitely a level of IQ that he just naturally has, to be able to do it. And I think a lot of it is work and practicing and being intentional on it when you're doing drills or in games.”
Meanwhile, Thompson was even more complimentary toward Byram, who was stuck behind Sabres star defensemen Rasmus Dahlin and Owen Power. Byram signed a lucrative contract extension that will pay him $12.5-million per season when it begins in the 2027-28 campaign. But while expectations on Byram have risen exponentially – but Thompson strongly conveyed his belief in Byram’s abilities:
“He is a No. 1 defenseman,” Thompson said of Byram. “Byram was one of those guys that, you know, brings it every single night. He plays both sides of the puck, he's up in the rush, he's responsible defensively, he can (penalty-kill),, he can run a power play. He didn't get the opportunity to really do that with us, but…with the playoffs that he had, I thought he was at times our best player on the ice. So, you know, we're going to miss him a lot. Chicago’s getting a great player. I think he’s definitely worth every penny.”
Ultimately, Thompson and his Sabres teammates will have to be better in the absence of Byram and Tuch if they’re to take the next competitive step forward. But Thompson has been through player departures before, and he harkened to those days as he assured Sabres fans that Buffalo’s players understand and relish the challenge that’s before them.
“We have a lot of skilled young players and a lot of talent in our lineup and, you know, that opens the door for someone to step up or multiple guys to step up,” Thompson said. “You know, I was in a situation like that when we had (former Sabres Jack) Eichel and (Sam) Reinhardt and those guys left, and the door opened up for me to take that step. And, you know, now it's going to be the same for some other young guys on our team to take that step.
“Every team in the (Atlantic) division has the potential to be a playoff team, so it’s just about consistency. It's a good lesson we learned making (the) playoffs last year and going the distance that we did, but realizing how far we have to go. So I think, you know, that leaves you with a big sense of hunger that there's more on the table.”
