The Buffalo Sabres laid an absolute beating on the Toronto Maple Leafs before the Christmas break, putting 9 pucks in behind Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones en route to a 9-3 win on home ice, sending the Leafs to Columbus with their tails tucked between their legs to finish out their road trip before the break. Thankfully, the Leafs were able to beat the Blue Jackets, but the damage was already done in Buffalo.
Unfortunately for the Sabres, coming out of the Christmas break, they're facing a significant roster issue. Tage Thompson, who recorded a 3-point night against the Leafs in that fateful 9-3 win, has officially stepped away from the team.
Thompson has had a nightmare of a 2023-24 season, first starting very slow with just 1 lone assist through his first 6 games before suffering an injury in November that saw him miss almost a month of action. Now, with his latest personal crisis, who knows how much time he'll miss as a result?
After putting up a career-high 94 points last season, Thompson has produced just 9 goals and 19 points in 26 games for the Sabres this season, which is respectable, but not anywhere near the 47-goal pace he finished at last year.
Players are granted leaves of absences for all sorts of reasons, and with the holiday season nearing its close, we truly hope that everything is okay with Thompson and his family. We're wishing him all the best and hoping for a speedy return.
