Buffalo Sabres Tage Thompson exits game vs. Tampa Bay Lightning lower-body injury

Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson exited Monday’s game vs the Tampa Bay Lightning with a lower-body injury.

Thompson logged 03:11 minutes of ice time and had one shot on goal.

The 26-year-old has tallied 29 goals and 27 assists for 56 points in 70 games this season. He sits first among Sabres’ goal scorers ahead of JJ Peterka and Jeff Skinner, he ranks third in points on the club. Thompson has had a bad go with injuries this season, he 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 and again missed time in March.

Last season, the 6-foot-7 center took the hockey world 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 effort which he concluded in December 2022 against the Columbus Blue Jackets. 

Thompson was initially selected 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 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 currently sit sixth in the Atlantic Division with a 38-37-6 record and 82 points through 81 games. Buffalo is playing their final game of the season.