Player Discussion Tage Thompson 1

[Djp]

Can some of you give some background on him.

I see he is big and could be a power forward winger type or is he a center?

Does he have decent speed ? Good shooter?

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[Gabrielor]

Very big. Excellent shot. Slow skater.

And if I recall correctly, very good numbers in college, particularly on the power play.

 

[La Cosa Nostra]

Was my #1 target knowing Thomas wasn't a feasible ask. (And guys like Parayko and Dunn were non starters anyway).

This is one of our top 6 RWs Long term. What is still determined to be seen is whether he meshes with Jack or Casey. Could you imagine Eichel and Thompson blasting one timers on the same line

 

[Gabrielor]

1 aside. If I'm Nick Baptiste or Justin Bailey, I'm waking up 2 hours early tomorrow. This guy's looking at a spot that those two should be fighting for.

 

[darcyRegier]

Most recent in-depth scouting report from that I could find on him from Last Word On Hockey(2017)...sounds like Jack's perfect linemate if he pans out...

Skating

Thompson’s skating is a bit of a work in progress, but isn’t that bad given his size. His speed is decent, but the first step and acceleration could use a little work. He could stand to clean up some choppiness in his stride. Thompson could also stand to add core strength as he could improve his balance and be stronger on the puck.

Offensive Game

At 6’5″ tall Thompson has the size, and uses it to his full advantage in playing a power forward’s game. He is often the first one in on the fore check, pressuring defenders into mistakes. He works very well down low, below the hash marks, cycling the puck and getting to the front of the net. Once there he can tip in pucks, pounce on rebounds, or fire in a pass from a teammate. Thompson also has an excellent one-timer, and a strong wrist shot with a good release, allowing him to score from further out.
While his stickhandling is good, and Thompson protects the puck well using his body on the cycle, he is a straight ahead kind of player, going directly from point a to point b, and not one to try overly creative plays. His assists mainly come from hard work in the corners, digging out loose pucks and making smart, safe passes to teammates.

Defensive Game

Thompson’s defensive game is excellent. He understands defensive positioning, and uses his long stick and big body to cut down passing and shooting lanes. He is fundamentally solid and very well-developed in his own end, no doubt as a result of being a coach’s son. Thompson has even been used as a defenceman on the penalty kill at Connecticut as his frame is particularly effective down low in his own end. Thompson plays a physical game, but he does so with clean hits; as he doesn’t take a lot of penalties. He could stand to gain muscle and strength in all areas, he has grown quite a bit since we first saw him with the US NTDP, and has not quite filled out his frame. That should come with time.

 

[Husko]

He’s not really a power forward, as I understand it. More of a sniper.

 

[Yatzhee]

I've seen him play a couple years back when he was on U-Conn. Has a hell of a shot and was big bodied. Stick handling looked decent but his speed was average. That was at the end of 2016, I think. Don't know his progression since I watched those games on TV. I do remember seeing St. Louis draft him and the first thought that came to me was "Power Forward". Didn't think much else.

If Botterill targeted him, I'm not happy about it, and from what the Blues GM said, he did.

 

[ZZamboni]

Oh no he’ll be hated quickly.

He’ll be labeled as “slow” even though he has average speed. Like Reinhart and O’Reilly.

He’ll be hated because he’s good in the D zone instead of a pure offensive winger.

Tage buddy ... you never had a chance. Just give up or at least demand a trade before your feet hit the ground in Buffalo.

 

[Goathead]

Oh no he’ll be hated quickly.

He’ll be labeled as “slow” even though he has average speed. Like Reinhart and O’Reilly.

He’ll be hated because he’s good in the D zone instead of a pure offensive winger.

Tage buddy ... you never had a chance. Just give up or at least demand a trade before your feet hit the ground in Buffalo.

I was just thinking the same

But He’s gonna be hated because he was a major peice if the return for O’Reilly.

 

[Goathead]

I do think with his skill set he would be a nice complement to Jack if he does turn out.

Who was he playing with in STL for the 40 or so game she played this year?

 

[darcyRegier]

Sobotka -> Tage

 

[BuiltTagonTough]

Am I thrilled with the trade? No.

But all of the reports make him sound like he should be playing with Jack or Casey at some point. Let them be creative while he wins pucks and makes himself available to finish off everything they throw at him.

 

[dasaybz]

How does he compare to Zadorov as a prospect at the time we traded him?

 

[GellMann]

Thompson's rookie year P/60 and P1/60, playing with Stastny, Berglund, and Sobotka (read: likely combo's this year) are identical to Zemgus's ES contributions to our Sabres team playing with his Larsson, Pominville etc.

I'm hoping Tage is ready but I'm not expecting it just yet.

 

[Blueston]

Blues fans were down on him because our lack of depth last year meant he was rushed. Wasn't ready and struggled. Played better when recalled later in season but still needs to fill out his frame. I don't think he becomes big star, but I expect that he becomes 20 goal guy (but maybe not for a couple years).

 

[Taro Tsujimoto]

He's great at protecting decks from water damage.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Was my #1 target knowing Thomas wasn't a feasible ask. (And guys like Parayko and Dunn were non starters anyway).

This is one of our top 6 RWs Long term. What is still determined to be seen is whether he meshes with Jack or Casey. Could you imagine Eichel and Thompson blasting one timers on the same line

All I can imagine is Eichel and Casey having to wait for his slow skating add to catch up and get into the slot for a one timer.

 

[BuffaloGooner]

All I can imagine is Eichel and Casey having to wait for his slow skating add to catch up and get into the slot for a one timer.

So if a player doesn’t have rockets fixated onto his skates that makes him slow?

 

[jBuds]

So if a player doesn’t have rockets fixated onto his skates that makes him slow?

Thompson isn’t a fast skater, and for a big dude, he’s far away from being considered “efficient”...

Kind of an “is what it is right now” thing. He can improve it. He’s 20.

 

[Dirty Dog]

All I can imagine is Eichel and Casey having to wait for his slow skating add to catch up and get into the slot for a one timer.

Tough to imagine a player you only hate because of the trade and you have no idea how they actually play

 

[Dirty Dog]

So if a player doesn’t have rockets fixated onto his skates that makes him slow?

No it means he dislikes this player because of the trade and is latching onto “slow”

 

[Sabre the Win]

So if a player doesn’t have rockets fixated onto his skates that makes him slow?

Hey if Reinhart is slow and not good enough as a 50 point player why should this kid get any leeway.

 

[jBuds]

It really doesn’t have to be such a huge leap from one extreme to the other.

“Elite Skating” isn’t in his bailiwick.

He has a great shot, he’s smart with his positioning and he’s known to work well on the PP in more than one role.

 

[Sabre the Win]

Tough to imagine a player you only hate because of the trade and you have no idea how they actually play

I dont hate the kid. I hate the return for ROR. Me speaking on his skating is the truth. Perhaps you want me to lie to you and tell you hes a speed demon so you can feel good?

 

[EastonBlues22]

He’s not really a power forward, as I understand it. More of a sniper.

That's pretty accurate.

He's not really the fore-checking machine or defensive stalwart that the scouting report above makes him out to be. He lacks polish defensively, but is generally aware and willing. That side of his game should progress as he matures. He should be an asset in the defensive zone when it's all said and done.

He favors a small man's game when fore-checking, as in he is more prone to using his reach and anticipation to win pucks over engaging physically and out-muscling people. He's not afraid of contact, he's just trying to win pucks with skill instead of separating people from pucks with his size. He is able to come away with the puck a reasonable amount of the time, however.

Along those lines, he's not afraid to go to the middle, but posting up in front of the net like Anders Lee isn't really his game. He is more dangerous facing the net.

He's slender, but there's plenty of room on his frame and time to add size. As he does, he might become a more physical player, but it doesn't seem like his natural instinct so I wouldn't count on it.

He does use his size well when shielding the puck. His hands are pretty soft, but not as fast as you'll find on a true plus stickhandler. He can make a nice move to beat someone on the rush or off the wall, but he's not going to be dancing much in traffic. Good enough vision and hands to play with top 6 quality players as a complimentary piece. Passing is generally good, but not overly creative. Better at creating his own chances than generating them for others, but he could develop into a dangerous finisher for someone who is.

He's capable of transitioning the puck from zone-to-zone himself, and can make the reads and touch passes needed to be a good transition player. It's not the best part of his game, but it's not a liability, either. He didn't have a chance to show off a lot of that in the bottom six role he played with the Blues, but the underlying skills are there. Dump and chase is not his preferred game, but he'll do it if that's what's asked of him.

Tough to tell because his line was generally tasked with playing a simple game, but his puck management was generally pretty good for someone his age just breaking into the NHL. He wasn't over-handling pucks at the lines, or coughing up pucks in traffic.

The best asset is his shot. It's hard, and he has a good release with a variety of legitimate shot options at his disposal. Good enough to score from the tops of the circles and to be a legitimate threat as a triggerman on the left side of a PP. Seems able to find space at the NHL level. A willing shooter. Not the sort that's going to pass up too many shots if he's in a position to score.

He's obviously more dangerous when playing with talented setup men, but he was able to look dangerous enough even with bottom six players in a limited role that I'm pretty comfortable saying he can be a useful player there as well once his game rounds out.

His floor is pretty high at this point, IMO, and he has a second line ceiling as a complimentary sniper if it all comes together. Seems like a pretty reasonable bet to be a middle-six sort of player, especially if you're ok with a dash of skill over sandpaper for that role. I'd be surprised if he didn't have a meaningful NHL career of some sort. The tools and IQ are there.

Blues had thoughts about transitioning him to center. He did take a lot of faceoffs in college and do well there, but he has played wing exclusively otherwise save for about a month and a half in the AHL (after which he was moved back to wing). I see him as a winger, personally.

Hope that all helps give you a starting point for your own evaluations moving forward.