Buffalo Sabres’ Tage Thompson assigned to non-roster for personal reasons

Last season, the 6-foot-7 center has taken the league by storm, notching a team-leading and career-high 47 goals and 47 assists for 94 points in 78 games during the 2022-23 campaign. Part of those 47 goals also included an astonishing five-goal thriller, which he concluded in December against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Initially a No. 26 overall pick in the 2016 NHL Entry Draft by the St. Louis Blues, Thompson was dealt to the Sabres in the Ryan O’Reilly deal. During the 2021-22 season, Thompson emerged from the abyss and notched 38 goals and 68 points in 78 games. During the off-season, Sabres general manager Kevyn Adams signed the Glendale, Arizona product to a monster seven-year, $50,000,000 contract. The contract has an average annual value of $7,100,000 which has taken effect this season.

The Sabres sit seventh in the Atlantic Division with a 14-8-4 record to go with 32 points. They trail four points back of the Detroit Red Wings and Montreal Canadiens. Buffalo has a six-point gap over the last-place Ottawa Senators who have 26 points. Buffalo is set to play the Blue Jackets on Saturday and then New Year’s Eve against the Senators.

Last month, Thompson had missed nine games due to an upper-body injury that he suffered on November 14th against the Boston Bruins after a puck hit his hand during a blocked shot attempt. The Sabres went 3-5-1 without Thompson in the lineup, so they’ll hope that he is not out of the lineup for long and makes a return soon.