Prospect Info: #96 Tyce Thompson RW

[Poppy Whoa Sonnet]

Hope he gets a shot with Hughes ASAP, why not?

 

[Captain3rdLine]

 

[glenwo2]

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I'm a little surprised how much excitement there is over this kid.

 

[glenwo2]

I'm a little surprised how much excitement there is over this kid.

I guess you can call it the "New Toy Syndrome".

He's someone new that hasn't already been seen in the NHL yet and we are all looking forward to his debut when he gets his opportunity.

Many others here have their own personal opinions on him but I just like seeing new blood in the Devils Organization.

 

[Eggtimer]

I don't know enough about Thompson . Someone please tell me to be excited.

 

[TheUnseenHand]

I don't know enough about Thompson . Someone please tell me to be excited.

I know next to nothing, but what I've read he might be a serviceable 4th or 3rd liner in there NHL. But I really have no idea basically having never seen him play.

 

[Guttersniped]

I'm a little surprised how much excitement there is over this kid.

What’s the proper level of excitement for this sort thing?

 

[TheUnseenHand]

What’s the proper level of excitement for this sort thing?

Whatever you want Nothing wrong with being excited for a debut of a prospect. It's refreshing really. Doesn't change me being surprised by the general level of excitement though.

 

[beekay414]

I currently have him at #5 in our prospect rankings so I think it's fair to be excited about a potential legit middle 6 winger. He may not be a top line guy or a sure fire top 6 but he's a damn fine hockey player. The growth he's had since we drafted him has been promising and we tend to nail our mid-to-late picks.

 

[Nubmer6]

I currently have him at #5 in our prospect rankings so I think it's fair to be excited about a potential legit middle 6 winger. He may not be a top line guy or a sure fire top 6 but he's a damn fine hockey player. The growth he's had since we drafted him has been promising and we tend to nail our mid-to-late picks.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think from what I've read he's a right-shot scoring forward with some size. He didn't strike me as someone with outstanding defensive or grinding ability. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd think he's the kind of guy that's either top 6 or bust (going by the traditional 4 line definitions).

 

[The Great Dame]

I just hope he's better than his inept brother

 

[MichaelJ]

I'm a little surprised how much excitement there is over this kid.

- New signing
- Temporary angst over his possible free agency
- Surprise talent for a low round pick
- Devils are thin on the right side
- Another lost season so we like the bright spots

I like what I read, but I have modest expectations for him. His coach expects him to fill out to 195-200 lbs - potential to be a middle6 RW but I’m assuming he’ll wind up as a bottom6 if we’re lucky.

It is nice to at least have some hope about the forward corps rounding out. We had almost nothing at RW a year ago (except Anderson;can we get him back? No? Okay) and now have the potential of Holtz, Mercer, and Thompson all being developed here and filling 3 of 4 spots.

I don’t think anyone thinks he’ll be a star player.

 

[beekay414]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think from what I've read he's a right-shot scoring forward with some size. He didn't strike me as someone with outstanding defensive or grinding ability. Maybe I'm wrong, but I'd think he's the kind of guy that's either top 6 or bust (going by the traditional 4 line definitions).

I mean, his coach said he can slide anywhere in the lineup and play any role. I know the first thought is "coach speak" but he's definitely a middle 6er. He's still growing into his 6'1" frame as well as he's only around 175.

 

[Nubmer6]

I mean, his coach said he can slide anywhere in the lineup and play any role. I know the first thought is "coach speak" but he's definitely a middle 6er. He's still growing into his 6'1" frame as well as he's only around 175.

Oh yeah. I forgot about that quote from the coach.

 

[TheDuke93]

I mean, his coach said he can slide anywhere in the lineup and play any role. I know the first thought is "coach speak" but he's definitely a middle 6er. He's still growing into his 6'1" frame as well as he's only around 175.

To add on to this he was deployed in basically all situation IIRC and got the C slapped on him, its extremely rare that someone in college hockey gets the C and is not a hard worker and has a ton of compete. So while he might look like a guy that needs to score or bust he certainly will work his ass off and be hard to play against.

 

[The Great Dame]

Realistically I'm hoping between him and Nolan Foote we have 2 guys who can hopefully become at least middle 6 power-type forwards. I don't know much about them to be perfectly honest other than reading articles and looking at stat lines, but I do know that both Tyce and Nolan are big boys. And based on what I've seen/read I'm hoping they're the type of forwards who can be strong on the puck, drive the net, take punishment in front of the net, throw the body every now and then, win puck battles etc, but most importantly, be a finisher. Because to me that's the biggest missing piece in this core group that we have going here. We're highly skilled and can generate chances but about as soft a team as you'll find in the league, and our guys simply aren't finishers. I don't think you could give that "finisher" label to one guy on our team, Palms used to be but he's not anymore and Wood is a nice net-front presence but his hands/release aren't where they need to be to be a top goal scorer.

Hopefully if both of them become good finishers who can create havoc with their size and win puck battles, capable of contributing in a top 9 role, we would have a really strong young forward group moving forward.

 

[beekay414]

Realistically I'm hoping between him and Nolan Foote we have 2 guys who can hopefully become at least middle 6 power-type forwards. I don't know much about them to be perfectly honest other than reading articles and looking at stat lines, but I do know that both Tyce and Nolan are big boys. And based on what I've seen/read I'm hoping they're the type of forwards who can be strong on the puck, drive the net, take punishment in front of the net, throw the body every now and then, win puck battles etc, but most importantly, be a finisher. Because to me that's the biggest missing piece in this core group that we have going here. We're highly skilled and can generate chances but about as soft a team as you'll find in the league, and our guys simply aren't finishers. I don't think you could give that "finisher" label to one guy on our team, Palms used to be but he's not anymore and Wood is a nice net-front presence but his hands/release aren't where they need to be to be a top goal scorer.

Hopefully if both of them become good finishers who can create havoc with their size and win puck battles, capable of contributing in a top 9 role, we would have a really strong young forward group moving forward.

This post is why I'm upset on missing out on Brandon Coe by one damn pick last year. I think he would've been a very nice net front presence and a great 3rd line RW option.

 

[ninetyeight]

I don't know enough about Thompson . Someone please tell me to be excited.

It's that 19-20 season, when he finished 3rd (tied with few guys) in points in NCAA. 44 points in 34 games, while being much younger than the rest of the guys. A lot of people dismiss his numbers because the league scoring winner amazing Jack Dugan (Vegas prospect ppg pace in AHL right now) also played in Providence, but according to some Providence fans he didn't even play in the same line with Thompson. Thompson was "only" ppg this season, but I think this guy still has top6 ceiling and a bottom6 floor, I'd be surprised if he doesn't at least become NHL regular in a few years.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

44 points in 34 games is the reason to be excited. Even at that age, that is 1st line potential production. If he fills out to 6`1 195 that will be some decent size on the wing.

 

[Guttersniped]

It's that 19-20 season, when he finished 3rd (tied with few guys) in points in NCAA. 44 points in 34 games, while being much younger than the rest of the guys. A lot of people dismiss his numbers because the league scoring winner amazing Jack Dugan (Vegas prospect ppg pace in AHL right now) also played in Providence, but according to some Providence fans he didn't even play in the same line with Thompson. Thompson was "only" ppg this season, but I think this guy still has top6 ceiling and a bottom6 floor, I'd be surprised if he doesn't at least become NHL regular in a few years.

And a coach was quoted in Wheeler’s prospects rankings in January predicting that Tyce’s points would likely dip this season in part because they had him play center this season, even though he’s better at winger, so it would be harder for him to put up the same numbers.

 

[TheDuke93]

And a coach was quoted in Wheeler’s prospects rankings in January predicting that Tyce’s points would likely dip this season in part because they had him play center this season, even though he’s better at winger, so it would be harder for him to put up the same numbers.

I also take this as the kid being willing to sacrifice some personal success for the team.

 

[StevenToddIves]

I know next to nothing, but what I've read he might be a serviceable 4th or 3rd liner in there NHL. But I really have no idea basically having never seen him play.

Tyce Thompson is an excellent shooter and passer with size and above-average skating and hockey sense. Though he lacks the elite skill-set of a true NHL first-liner, there is absolutely no empirical reason to think or intimate that he does not have the upside of a 20+ goal, middle-six forward. Another thing I look at with young prospects is development curve, and Thompson's is truly uncommon. Up to age 19, he was being played mostly at center and did not seem to find his game with any consistently. Since the 2019-20 season when Providence moved him primarily to the RW, Thompson's upward trajectory has been almost dizzying -- he has improved almost absurdly in every aspect of the game and upon leaving the NCAA, was one of the very best players in all of college hockey.

When the Devils drafted Tyce Thompson in the 4th round of the 2019 draft, I was outspokenly critical of the pick. Though I consider myself to be pretty competent at the prospect prognostication game, Thompson has made me eat my words with his hard work and outstanding play. Let's give him some time at the NHL level before we're ready to sell him short, the kid has proved us wrong before.

 

[TheDuke93]

Tyce Thompson is an excellent shooter and passer with size and above-average skating and hockey sense. Though he lacks the elite skill-set of a true NHL first-liner, there is absolutely no empirical reason to think or intimate that he does not have the upside of a 20+ goal, middle-six forward. Another thing I look at with young prospects is development curve, and Thompson's is truly uncommon. Up to age 19, he was being played mostly at center and did not seem to find his game with any consistently. Since the 2019-20 season when Providence moved him primarily to the RW, Thompson's upward trajectory has been almost dizzying -- he has improved almost absurdly in every aspect of the game and upon leaving the NCAA, was one of the very best players in all of college hockey.

When the Devils drafted Tyce Thompson in the 4th round of the 2019 draft, I was outspokenly critical of the pick. Though I consider myself to be pretty competent at the prospect prognostication game, Thompson has made me eat my words with his hard work and outstanding play. Let's give him some time at the NHL level before we're ready to sell him short, the kid has proved us wrong before.

My biggest take away from watching prospects the past few years and their transition to the nhl is that if a player has his heart in the game they will almost always exceed expectations.

 

[OmNomNom]

Tyce Thompson is an excellent shooter and passer with size and above-average skating and hockey sense. Though he lacks the elite skill-set of a true NHL first-liner, there is absolutely no empirical reason to think or intimate that he does not have the upside of a 20+ goal, middle-six forward. Another thing I look at with young prospects is development curve, and Thompson's is truly uncommon. Up to age 19, he was being played mostly at center and did not seem to find his game with any consistently. Since the 2019-20 season when Providence moved him primarily to the RW, Thompson's upward trajectory has been almost dizzying -- he has improved almost absurdly in every aspect of the game and upon leaving the NCAA, was one of the very best players in all of college hockey.

When the Devils drafted Tyce Thompson in the 4th round of the 2019 draft, I was outspokenly critical of the pick. Though I consider myself to be pretty competent at the prospect prognostication game, Thompson has made me eat my words with his hard work and outstanding play. Let's give him some time at the NHL level before we're ready to sell him short, the kid has proved us wrong before.

Curious on thoughts of him vs duggan, they played together but who carried who?