Death, taxes, and the Buffalo Sabres sucking. These are a few things that are inevitable in life. It's like you know these things will happen, yet you're still shocked when they do. But that doesn't happen with the team from Western New York.
"Oh, it's those Sabres sucking again."
It's like clockwork at this point, where the annual fire sale comes around at the trade deadline. Who's getting moved? Could we see the Vegas Golden Knights reunite with Alex Tuch? That would make the 2021 trade involving Jack Eichel that much funnier.
"Hey, wasn't I traded for you?" -Tuch, probably.
"Yeah. Can you believe it? They thought I sucked! Welcome back, brother." -Jack Eichel, probably.
This isn't like it would be a simple reunion, though. The winger is 28 years old and has scored 19 goals and 24 assists this season. He has an incredible shot and would be under contract for next season as well. All the pieces line up nicely for a "Misfit" party in Las Vegas. It's no wonder the scouts are popping up again.
Note from Jeff Marek on @thesheethockey today, Vegas scouts has been doing a lot of viewings on Buffalo games lately. #VegasBorn #sabrehood #NHL
— NHL Trade Alert (@NHLTradeAlert) February 18, 2025
However, let's go bold for a second. We're going where no team has dared to go before. Why not take a step further and trade for a team leader in goals? After all, you want to watch the brains of 31 other fanbases melt. They might scream "CAP CIRCUMVENTION" and ask Gary Bettman to do something.
The Vegas Golden Knights should trade for Tage Thompson
Now, this trade won't likely happen for a few reasons. One, Tage Thompson has a cap hit of $7,142,857 per season. That could be lessened if another team takes a part of the deal. But it's still sizable, especially with Eichel due a big contract in a couple of seasons. He also has an extensive injury history this season, with his concussion on February 4 being the latest example. Those concerns could cause problems for the Vegas Golden Knights as they search for another winger in their forward group.
However, the Arizona native does have plenty of positives. For one, he's only 27 years old. He also has a 40-goal season under his belt, achieving this remarkable feat in 2022-23 (47 goals). In fact, he's already off to another solid start, scoring 26 this season (tied for ninth in the NHL).
Thompson is also sizable on the ice. Standing at 6'6", you can't miss him. Granted, he's not going to hit players the way Nicolas Hague will occasionally (43 hits this season). However, his age also helps him here as he learns to grow into his body and use it to his advantage. The same goes for his defensive game, where he's developing after every shift.
On top of that, you're keeping him around until the 2030 season. You can make the wing position suddenly stronger with the University of Connecticut alum and Pavel Dorofeyev skating up and down the ice. Imagine having two players in the top 10 in goals scored every season for your team.
Again, this trade isn't likely to happen, even with Shea Theodore possibly moving to LTIR. After all, Alex Tuch is the likelier bet given what he can bring. However, it's fun to think about the possibility of adding another solid goal-scorer to the forward group. Who knows? Kelly McCrimmon might send the Buffalo Sabres into another lengthy rebuild with this deal.