Tage Thompson Leading Red-Hot Sabres

Tage Thompson has caught fire as he leads the red-hot Buffalo Sabres.

Dec 27, 2025; Buffalo, New York, USA; Buffalo Sabres center Tage Thompson (72) skates with the puck during the first period against the Boston Bruins at KeyBank Center. Mandatory Credit: Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images | Timothy T. Ludwig-Imagn Images

The Buffalo Sabres have won eight consecutive games. The winning streak has brought the team from the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings to a tie for the final Wild Card spot.

Credit to the Sabres. They made drastic organizational changes, firing general manager Kevyn Adams and replacing him with former Columbus Blue Jackets executive Jarmo Kekäläinen. He quickly brought in Marc Bergevin to serve as the associate GM, and suddenly, there is new life in Buffalo.

A huge part of the team's resurgence is thanks to their top forward, Tage Thompson. The hulking center/winger combination has recorded 11 points over the winning streak. He's raised his season totals to 18 goals and 16 assists for 34 points, and his production is leading the red-hot Sabres into the playoff conversation.

Go-To Guy in Buffalo

The Sabres have been committed to Thompson since 2022, when they signed him to an extension paying him just over $7 million annually.

This year, Thompson has become the go-to guy in all situations, not just as a scoring threat. He leads the forwards in total ice time so far and has taken the third-most shifts.

Dec 11, 2025; Vancouver, British Columbia, CAN; Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson (72) celebrates his goal against the Vancouver Canucks in the second period at Rogers Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bob Frid-Imagn Images | Bob Frid-Imagn Images

And the difference in the Sabres' production with him on the ice versus off it is startling. According to MoneyPuck game data, Buffalo has scored 53.8% of its total goals while Thompson was on the ice. That's supported by how they control the total number of shots on goal and unblocked shot attempts with Thompson on the ice. MoneyPuck lists the Sabres' on-ice shot attempt percentage, also known as the Corsi percentage, at 57% in all situations with their top scorer.

But when he's not on the ice, the Sabres give up considerably more shots on goal and attempts. The Sabres' game goes from controlling the shots and chances created to hoping they can withstand their opponents'. Their expected goals percentage with Thompson on the ice is an impressive 58.6%, but it drops to 45.3% without him on the ice.

Olympic Roster Spot Secured?

The performance is also boosting Thompson's chances to travel to Italy for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games. Thompson recently represented the United States at the 2025 IIHF World Championships, helping Team USA end a nearly 100-year-long gold medal drought at the tournament.

In the months since, he's been one of the players on the bubble for the Olympics. But with this showing lately, he's done more than enough to earn a place in their lineup.

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