Tage Thompson has quickly risen to stardom early on in his career. Prior to last season, the now 25-year-old had a career-high of eight goals. After coming over from the St. Louis Blues in a trade to the Buffalo Sabers, they had hoped the young 6’6″ forward would blossom into the star the Blues had hoped he’d be when they drafted him 26th overall in 2016. Last season, Thompson proved how dangerous he was when the puck is on his stick.
Thompson erupted in the 2021-22 season scoring 38 goals across 78 games as he obliterated his previous career high and put the league on notice. Some thought Thompson’s goal total was just a fluke season, especially after it earned him a new seven-year $50 million contract extension.
He has backed up his play and silenced all the haters as he’s continued to score goals at a rapid pace. Through 38 games, Thompson has already scored 31 goals as he’s on pace to break the 60-goal mark as the Sabers are now halfway through the season.
Tage Thompson has been one of the main reasons the Sabers have been relevant this season as they stay in the playoff hunt. Many thought the Sabers would be at the bottom of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference this season, but that’s not the case. The Sabers are fourth in the Atlantic, trailing the Bruins, Maple Leafs, and Lightning, while also sitting fourth in the Eastern Wild Card race sitting four points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins for the second and final spot.
The young forward finds himself in a great spot to bring home his first piece of hardware in the NHL, as his 31 goals are third in the NHL with half a season to go. Thompson has a lot of competition, though, as he first must catch David Pastrnak (32 goals) and Connor McDavid (34 goals) to move into first, all while staying ahead of Alex Ovechkin and Jason Robertson, who both have 29 goals.
Being the star of the Sabers and their offense will be key for Thompson in his pursuit of the top goal scorer of the 2022-23 season. Just like McDavid, Thompson has the ability to rack up multi-goal games at a high rate. So far this season, he has had six multi-goal games, including three hat tricks and one game where he scored five goals.
With half a season to go and Thompson becoming a superstar in this league, winning the Rocket Richard for the first time in his career is well in reach for the 25-year-old.
For those that wish to bet on Tage Thompson to bring home the trophy, he currently has the third-best odds with +350.
