Sabres Pushing Back on Tage Thompson Trade Talk

The Tage Thompson chatter is heating up again, but the Buffalo Sabres have zero interest in trading their franchise center. Sportsnet insider Elliotte Friedman reports that won’t change unless directly forced by the player himself — and anyone close to the situation will tell you that’s not where things stand.

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There’s always a point in the rumor cycle where speculation starts feeding itself, especially when a team is underperforming. Buffalo’s been inconsistent, no doubt. But that doesn’t mean they’re ready to punt on one of the most uniquely gifted players in the league. In fact, Saturday night was the perfect reminder of why they won’t.

Thompson scored a beauty, going coast to coast as he bulldozed through Alex DeBrincat like he wasn’t even there. When Thompson is on, he changes games single-handedly. Those players don’t get moved because a team is frustrated. They get moved only when they want out, and according to everyone around Buffalo, Thompson isn’t pushing anything of the sort.

Friedman argued during his latest 32 Thoughts episode that great players are foundational, and you hang onto them unless they force your hand. If the day ever comes when Thompson wants a new chapter, the Sabres would make it clear that the decision came from the player — not from a lack of desire to keep him. That’s how highly they value him. He said, “…there’s been a lot of talk about Tage Thompson. I look at it this way … the Buffalo Sabers do not want to trade Tage Thompson. Zero.”

Thompson Has Not Been a Problem for the Sabres

Despite the Sabres’ uneven season and the trade talk that pops up regarding him, Thompson has not been one of the problems. If anything, he’s been one of the few consistently pushing himself into that Olympic-conversation tier. He’s not looking to rock the boat.

His performance in Saturday’s comeback win over Detroit was the best version of him.

The trade talk will keep swirling — that’s Buffalo’s reality right now. But unless something seismic shifts, Tage Thompson isn’t going anywhere.

Next: Three Players the Toronto Maple Leafs Could Trade to Shake Up Their Roster