Buffalo’s rollercoaster season continued again on Monday with a 7-5 loss to Montreal, but the defeat could be felt in more ways than one with team-leading goal scorer Tage Thompson suffering a lower-body injury.
Back below .500 at 7-8-1 in the standings, Buffalo’s star center left the ice midway through the second period and did not return, adding further intrigue to the Rocket Richard Award chase after the 27-year-old netted his 11th goal.
Now in a tie for first with William Nylander, Nikita Kucherov, Cole Caufield, and Sam Reinhart, Thompson presents a compelling case to lead the league in goals if he can somehow stay on the ice.
Unfortunately, injuries have been a common theme throughout Thompson’s eight-year career. The 2016 first-round pick is yet to play a full 82-game season, his best coming in 2022/23 when he played in 78 games and scored a career-high 47 goals.
Thompson battled injuries again last year when he basically played with only one hand, enduring a down season that saw him lead the team with only 29 goals.
Still, Thompson’s red-hot start comes as no surprise. He’s always been a dangerous goal scorer not afraid of the dirty work – as seen a couple of weeks ago when he fought for the puck along the wall, found open ice, and blasted a one-timer past Dallas’ All-Star goalie, Jake Oettinger.
Thompson’s brilliance was on full display again on Monday when he read Alex Tuch’s one-on-one situation along the boards beautifully, receiving a pass and cutting to the net to put one past Cayden Primeau.
Tage Thompson comes right back to tie it up with a nifty move, 1-1. #sabrehood #gohabsgo pic.twitter.com/1ViBCXwkGD
November 11, 2024This year, Thompson has developed into a true leader for Buffalo.
He’s complimented captain Rasmus Dahlin nicely on and off the ice, providing some level-headedness in post-game interviews to match his eye-catching stats through the first month of the season.
Not only does Thompson lead his team in goals, but he’s also first in points (18) and first in shots (50).
If Thompson is to miss extended time, the Sabres will no doubt miss his play at even strength, as he currently ranks inside the Top 50 in the NHL in expected goals percentage, according to Natural Stat Trick.
As far as the Rocket Richard is concerned, FanDuel currently lists Thompson as a +1400 chance, with last year’s winner Auston Matthews, still a +350 favourite despite missing several games due to injury.
No Sabres player has ever won the Rocket Richard since it was first introduced in 1989, but with Thompson on pace to score over 50 goals this season if he stays healthy, this could be Buffalo’s best chance.