The Buffalo Sabres have not qualified for the playoffs the last 14 seasons. After a 6-8-4 start to the 2025-26 campaign, the Sabres sit last in the Eastern Conference, and the confidence is low that they\u2019ll break their woeful streak.<\/p>\n
Given another rough stretch for an already embattled franchise, trade vultures have already begun circling major parts of the Sabres roster, namely superstar center Tage Thompson<\/strong>. Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman has discussed Thompson\u2019s potential availability multiple times over the past few days, first broaching the topic on Sportsnet 590 The FAN\u2019s Hockey Show.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s some noise about Tage Thompson this week,\u201d Friedman said Friday<\/a>. \u201cI don\u2019t get any sense at all that the Sabres are interested in doing that. As we sit here today, the answer is no. Now, I recognize that the way it\u2019s going out there, these things can change. I think if he\u2019d asked for a trade, it would probably get out there.\u201d<\/p>\n Thompson leads the Sabres in scoring with 16 points (8g, 8a) in 18 games. The 28-year-old centerman has led Buffalo in scoring three of the past four years, with an especially impressive 94-point (47g, 47a) 2022-23 campaign.<\/p>\n The 6-foot-6, 220-pound forward is in the third year of a seven-year, $49,999,999 contract ($7.14M AAV) he signed with the Sabres during the 2022 offseason. Thompson has yet to play in a single playoff game during his now nine-season NHL career, raising questions about whether he\u2019ll request a move out of Buffalo if the Sabres continue down the path they seem to be on again.<\/p>\n \u201cI think everybody there is frustrated,\u201d Friedman said. \u201cI think the fans are frustrated for very good reason \u2013 you can\u2019t blame them. But I have no evidence, at this point in time, that\u2019s something that Kevyn Adams (Sabres general manager) even wants to do if he could. I don\u2019t think he wants to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n Thompson will be an attractive trade target for many teams seeking to boost their scoring, including the Washington Capitals. Over the summer, the Capitals were thought to be in the market for another top-six forward<\/a> and notably failed to secure Nikolaj Ehlers\u2019 signature in free agency<\/a> as he spurned them for the Carolina Hurricanes<\/a>.<\/p>\n Despite impressive analytics, the Capitals have struggled to score this season and will see center Pierre-Luc Dubois miss a large swatch of the season<\/a> after undergoing major surgery earlier this month. The Caps also have Thompson\u2019s father, Brent Thompson, in their organization, hired by the Hershey Bears to serve as an assistant coach<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s been a lot of talk about Tage Thompson,\u201d Friedman added on Monday\u2019s episode of the 32 Thoughts Podcast<\/a>. \u201cI look at it this way, the Buffalo Sabres do not want to trade Tage Thompson. Now, if at some point, Tage Thompson wants to force the issue, it\u2019s different. But the bottom line is they don\u2019t want to do this.\u201d<\/p>\n