The Buffalo Sabres rely heavily on star forward Tage Thompson. That's why even a temporary absence has a huge effect on the Sabres' lineup.
That's been the case the past few games for the Sabres. Thompson left a recent contest against the Montreal Canadiens after just one shift in the second period. It was something he tried to push through, but ultimately it took him out of the game.
But after missing the past two and a half games, the Sabres are hoping to get their top forward back for their next game. Thompson resumed skating on his own and has upgraded to rejoining practice. Speaking to NHL.com following a recent on-ice session, Thompson indicated he could be back very soon for Buffalo.
"I felt great out there today ... felt good the other day," he said. "I feel comfortable, so I would imagine that I'll be back [Wednesday] if things progress the same way."
That would be a huge boost for the Sabres as they try to keep pace in the Atlantic Division. The team is 8-9-1 through 18 games, putting them in sixth place in the division. Without Thompson in the lineup, the team has lost two of three games.
Before his injury, Thompson was off and running to start 2024. In his first 16 games, he recorded 11 goals and added seven assists to lead the Sabres in goals and points.
What was especially impressive about his start was how much of his scoring was coming at even strength. The scoring center does a lot of his damage with the man advantage, but only had one goal and four points on the power play in the first 16 games. That left 10 goals scored at even strength so far. That standout performance had him on Team USA's radar for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament in February.
This article first appeared on Breakaway on SI and was syndicated with permission.
