Sabres Star Is NHL's Best Bounce-Back Candidate

This Buffalo Sabres star should bounce back in 2024-25.

Buffalo Sabres star forward Tage Thompson is one of the Atlantic Division club's most important players. Due to his high offensive skill, the 26-year-old has cemented himself as the Sabres' first-line center, and this should carry over to the 2024-25 campaign. 

However, while Thompson is a crucial part of the Sabres' lineup, he had a down year in 2023-24. In 71 games, he posted 29 goals, 27 assists, and 56 points. These totals were his lowest since the 2021-22 campaign, so it was naturally a frustrating year for the 2016 first-round pick. This is especially so when noting that he broke out as a true star in 2022-23, recording career highs with 47 goals, 47 assists, and 94 points.

Overall, while it was a challenging year for Thompson, there is no question that he has the potential to turn things around in a big way in 2024-25. He has shown that he can be a truly dominant offensive force when playing at his best, and his goal will now be to get back to his top form.

Thompson also showed signs of bouncing back during the final stretch of the Sabres' 2023-24 season. In his last 18 games of the season, he had an impressive 11 goals and 21 points. If he now replicates that kind of play next season, he could be in for a very big year. It will be fun to see what kind of season he has from here.