It is no secret that in an ideal world, the Montreal Canadiens would like to have an established, legitimate second-line centre to cement them as Stanley Cup contenders, as soon as this season. There have been a bunch of names linked to the Canadiens, including Nazem Kadri, Anthony Cirelli, and even Sidney Crosby. But now a new name is entering the fray: Tage Thompson.
Buffalo’s continued struggles
The 2016 26th overall pick is in his eighth season with the Buffalo Sabres and has yet to get the opportunity to play in a playoff game. It feels like the Sabres have been in a constant rebuild since they last made the playoffs in 2010-11. It is not that the Sabres have lacked talent, far from it.
In fact, the Sabres are gaining a track record of trading players right before they win the Stanley Cup. Whether it was Ryan O'Reilly, Jack Eichel, Sam Reinhart, Brandon Montour, and many more who were integral parts of Stanley Cup-winning teams. Thompson could be the next player out of Buffalo if they are once again on the outside looking in on the playoffs.
No... for now
The Buffalo Sabres are last in the East, and teams have checked in to see what the plan is for Tage Thompson.
— Marco D'Amico (@mndamico) November 12, 2025
The answer: Not available at this time.
More ⬇️⬇️ https://t.co/ozgSE9rxns
However, as of right now, it does not look like the Sabres are ready to discuss a move for their two-time 40-goal scoring centre. Journalist and Canadiens insider Marco D’Amico has stated that Montreal has kicked the tires on Thompson's availability and has been told that, at this time, he is not for trade.
The Sabres do not want to make a panic trade just because their team is dealing with injuries and their captain, Rasmus Dahlin, is away from the team to be with his fiancée as she recovers from a heart transplant.
Not in a rush
The search goes on for the Canadiens as they look for reinforcement for their second line. The good thing is the Habs are not in a position to panic.
Montreal is sitting in first in the Atlantic division, and they are just one point off first place in the Eastern Conference. Kirby Dach seems to have found his scoring touch again, and Oliver Kapanen is having an excellent start to his rookie season, sitting in a three-way tie for first in rookie goals.
Things could change between now and the trade deadline, and the Canadiens could circle back to see if any of their targets become available.