Tage Thompson sets lofty expectation for himself ahead of '23-24 season
Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson can be classified as a late-bloomer as the former first-round pick didn't take off production-wise until the 2021-22 season, when he had 38 goals and 68 points in 78 games.
Last season, he followed that up with a significant jump in points, by tallying 94 in the same amount of games, while adding 47 goals as he helped the Sabres reach 40+ wins in a single campaign for the first time since 2010-11.
Going into 2023-24, Tage Thompson has set a pretty big expectation for himself, telling The Athletic's Michael Russo at the NHL Player Media Tour in Vegas that he wants to hit the 50-goal plateau.
The way Thompson has developed over the last couple of years, especially in 2022-23, to become a legit top-line forward in the NHL, there's no doubt that he could hit the 50-goal mark for the first time in his career this coming season.
It's unclear yet who Thompson's line mates will be for the start of the new season, potentially Jeff Skinner and Alex Tuch, but he'll certainly get ample opportunity playing on the first line, as well as the first powerplay unit, which should no doubt allow him to reach at least 40 goals.
Thompson's quest for 50 goals will begin on October 12th as the Buffalo Sabres host the New York Rangers.
| POLL | ||
Do you think Tage Thompson will hit the 50-goal plateau this season? | ||
| Yes | 27 | 62.8 % |
| No | 16 | 37.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
