Thompson (upper body) will be activated from injured reserve ahead of his return to the lineup Tuesday against Detroit.
It was initially believed that Thompson was trending toward a return for Thursday's contest against Boston, but he declared himself good to go following Tuesday's morning skate. He has produced six goals, 12 points, 52 shots on net and 10 blocked shots through 16 appearances this season. Thompson, who missed the past nine games, is projected to play on the top line and first power-play unit in his return.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Making progress
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Thompson (upper body) has been skating alone, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.
Thompson has missed the last nine games and hasn't suited up since Nov. 14. The 26-year-old will likely need some practice time before jumping back into game action, but he appears to be progressing toward a return. Head coach Don Granato expects to have another update on his status Monday.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Still week-to-week
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Thompson (upper body) is progressing well but remains week-to-week, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.
"Hopefully he's on the shorter end of the timeline but still a little ways away. But definitely in a good spot," general manager Kevyn Adams said Wednesday when asked about Thompson's status. It's unlikely he'll be available in the near term. When Thompson begins practicing again, his timeline should become clearer. Adams added that the 26-year-old center's absence is likely to be less than two months. Thompson was injured Nov. 14.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Lands on injured reserve
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Thompson (upper body) was designated for injured reserve Friday, per the NHL media site.
Thompson's designation shouldn't come as a surprise considering he's been labeled week-to-week by coach Don Granato. With both Eric Comrie and Zach Benson coming off IR, the Sabres needed to free up a roster spot. Thompson is slightly off his pace from last season, when he racked up 94 points, including 47 goals, in 78 games.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Week-to-week, not month-to-month
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Thompson (upper body) is week-to-week but not month-to-month, coach Don Granato told Joe Yerdon of the Bleacher Report on Wednesday.
Thompson suffered a lower-body injury in the first period of Tuesday's game against Boston, and while he was able to return from that, the 26-year-old then sustained a more significant injury while blocking a shot in the second frame. Thompson has six goals and 12 points in 16 contests this year. While he's out, Dylan Cozens might center the Sabres' top line.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Will miss significant time
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Thompson (upper body) will miss significant time according to head coach Don Granato, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.
That update makes it sound like Thompson's recovery after blocking a shot will be measured in weeks rather than days. Alex Tuch (upper body) may be ready to play Friday in Winnipeg to replace Thompson in the lineup, while Dylan Cozens figures to slide back over to center on the top line. Thompson will likely require some additional tests to bring clarity to his return timeline.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Sustains another injury
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Thompson won't return to Tuesday's game versus the Bruins due to an upper-body injury.
Thompson took a beating Tuesday, suffering a lower-body injury in the first period that he was able to bounce back from. In the second, he took a shot off the wrist, and that was enough to take him out of the game for good. He'll be day-to-day until the Sabres provide another update on his status.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Returns to contest
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Thompson (lower body) returned to Tuesday's game versus the Bruins at the start of the second period, Matthew Fairburn of The Athletic reports.
Thompson was initially labeled questionable to return to the contest. Assuming he doesn't aggravate the injury, the 26-year-old should be good to handle his usual top-line role.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Questionable to return
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Thompson (lower body) is questionable to return to Tuesday's game versus the Bruins.
Thompson got tangled up and crashed into the boards. He was able to get off the ice but was in visible pain. If he doesn't return to Tuesday's contest, he'll be considered day-to-day ahead of Friday's contest in Winnipeg, which begins a three-game road trip for the Sabres.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Three more points in win
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Thompson tallied a goal and two assists in Wednesday's 5-2 win over Philadelphia.
Thompson notched an assist on Brandon Biro's tally in the first period and Owen Power's in the third before adding a goal of his own later in the frame, beating Samuel Ersson with a wrister to extend Buffalo's lead to 4-2. The 26-year-old Thompson now has points in four straight games, totaling four goals and four assists in that span -- he was held to just one point over his first six contests this season.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Strikes for goal in loss
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Thompson scored a goal on two shots and added two hits in Friday's 5-4 loss to the Devils.
Thompson briefly put the Sabres ahead 2-1 in the first period with his third tally over the last two games. The 25-year-old sputtered early in the season, but he's managed four goals and one helper through eight outings. The center has added 34 shots on net, seven hits and a minus-4 rating while playing in his usual top-line role.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: First multi-pointer of season
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Thompson scored twice and added an assist Tuesday in a 6-4 win over the Senators.
It was Thompson's first multipoint game of the season. His first goal came at 18:48 of the second period when he redirected an Owen Power point shot. It stood as the winner. Thompson's second went into the empty net at 19:37 while shorthanded. He's off to a slow start after his breakout 94-point season last year, but so are the Sabres overall. They sit last in the Atlantic with a 3-4-0 (.429) record. This shouldn't last long. A breakout is coming.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Finally snipes first this season
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Thompson scored his first goal of the season Thursday in a 4-3 loss to the Flames.
It was also his first point of the season. Thompson wired a wrist shot over Dan Vladar's glove on the power play at 14:28 of the first period. His 47-goal breakout last season was real, so don't panic. The good times should roll now that Thompson has that proverbial monkey off his back.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Suffered hip pointer injury
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Thompson suffered a hip pointer March 24 versus New Jersey, Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald reports.
Thompson missed four of the Sabres' last 10 games but managed three goals and two assists while playing through the injury in the other six. The talented forward ended the season with a career-high 47 goals and 47 assists, including 20 tallies with the man advantage. Considering Thompson managed to play through the injury down the stretch, he should be fully healthy for the start of training camp in September.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Won't play Friday
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Thompson (upper body) won't play Friday versus the Blue Jackets, Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News reports.
Thompson will close out his 2022-23 campaign with 47 goals, 94 points (34 on the power play) and 295 shots on net in a fantastic season. While he's banged up to close out this season, it seems safe to assume he'll have plenty of time to heal up for 2023-24.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Two-point effort Thursday
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Thompson picked up a goal and an assist in Thursday's 7-6 shootout win over the Red Wings.
In his second game back from a nagging upper-body injury, Thompson opened the scoring early in the first period with his 45th goal of the season, tying him for sixth in the league with Jason Robertson. The 25-year-old is up to 92 points in 74 games, and with five games remaining on Buffalo's schedule he's got a shot at a 100-point campaign, but Thompson could also be shut down if and when the Sabres are officially eliminated from the playoffs -- they're six points back of the Isles and Panthers for the final wild-card spot and would also have to leapfrog the Penguins.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: On track to play
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Thompson (upper body) took line rushes in warmups, indicating he'll likely play Thursday versus the Red Wings, Joe Yerdon of Noted Hockey reports.
Thompson is considered a game-time decision, but all signs point to him being in the lineup. He'll likely center the first line and play on the top power-play unit, while Victor Olofsson appears set to be a healthy scratch.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Game-time decision Thursday
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Coach Don Granato said that Thompson (upper body) will be a game-time decision versus Detroit on Thursday, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Thompson played Tuesday after missing three games with the same injury. He picked up an assist Tuesday against Florida, giving him 46 helpers and 90 points in 73 games. Should he play, Thompson would likely play on the first line as well as the top power play.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Playing Tuesday
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Thompson (upper body) will rejoin the lineup versus the Panthers on Tuesday, WGR Sports Radio 550 reports.
Thompson is back in action following a three-game stint on the shelf due to his upper-body issue. Prior to his absence, the 25-year-old Phoenix native was rolling with three goals, six assists and 35 shots in his last 12 contests. With the winger cleared to play, he should reclaim his spot on both the top line and No. 1 power-play unit.
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Sabres' Tage Thompson: Not playing Saturday
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Thompson (upper body) will not be in the lineup against Philadelphia on Saturday, Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News reports.
Thompson skated Saturday and while he has improved immensely, he still isn't ready to return. Coach Don Granato said that Thompson is close to being available, so he should be considered day-to-day. Thompson has 44 goals and 89 points in 72 games this season.
