In two of the past three seasons, Buffalo Sabres star right winger Tage Thompson has put up a combined 91 goals. And although he had an off-season two years ago when he posted only 29 goals, the 27-year-old bounced back in a big way this year, generating 44 goals in 75 games.
If Thompson hits the 40-goal mark again in 2025-26, Sabres GM Kevyn Adams and coach Lindy Ruff will be pleased. However, if Thompson is going to get to a major plateau -- the 100-point plateau -- he's going to have to be much better in the assist department. And as much as anything else, that will be a reflection of how well the team around him performs.
To be sure, Thompson's primary task will still be goal-scoring. On a Sabres team that was 10th in the NHL in goals-for average (3.23), they need Thompson to continue being a scoring menace. However, in the past two seasons, Thompson's assists numbers have dropped significantly from the 47 assists he had in 2022-23; in 2023-24, he had 27 assists, and last year, he had 28 assists. Those numbers need to bounce back.
And the good news is that the Sabres will be offering him the opportunity to get to the 100-point mark this coming season. He got to 94 points in 2022-23, and gettting back to at least that amount will be an excellent harbinger of what Buffalo will be able to do in the uber-competitive Atlantic Division.
The Sabres have Thompson on a high-value contract that pays him an average annual value of $7.14 million, but that doesn't mean their expectations shouldn't be sky-high for him. To the contrary -- now more than ever, Buffalo needs Thompson to drive the offense. And getting to the 100-point mark will send a message that he's still able to elevate his game to new heights.
A full season playing with center Josh Norris should help Thompson's assist number. And depending on what other changes the Sabres make to the roster, an improved power play should also help Thompson in the points department. Buffalo was 24th in the league with the man-advantage last season, so clearly, there's room for improvement on the PP.
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But more than anything else, asking more of Thompson is an extension of asking more from his teammates as well. We know Thompson can bury the biscuit, but being dynamic at the highest level also means energizing your teammates, and that's where an improved assist number for him comes into play.
If the Sabres are going to make the playoffs, they need Thompson to be better, just as they need the rest of the roster to be better. You can't really ask him to score 60 goals, but getting to 40 assists shouldn't be seen as a mountainous task.
Sabres Should Be Focusing On Trading For This Veteran Stanley Cup-Winner
The <a href="http://thn.com/buffalo">Buffalo Sabres</a> are in need of many things this summer -- but more than anything else, they need some veterans to come in and establish a winning standard for a new era for the franchise. And while it won't be a cakewalk to acquire the type of talent that can change things for the Sabres, that doesn't mean Buffalo GM Kevyn Adams shouldn't be swinging for the fences in trades and free agency.
If Thompson can galvanize the offense in more ways than one, every other Buffalo player's job will be easier. And if he can't, and he fails to get to the 30-assist mark for the third straight season, Sabres brass will have some difficult questions to answer.
The bar for Thompson has to be 100 points. There's nothing wrong with asking a player in his prime to take that next competitive step, and that's why getting more assists has to be part of the equation for him in 2025-26. Thompson has come close to the 100-point mark before, and there's no good reason he can't get there next year.