St. Louis Blues Tage Thompson Needs To Stay At Center

The St. Louis Blues are both closer than many believe but further away than we would hope from a championship. Their needs at center hinder them, but hopefully help is on the way.

When the St. Louis Blues drafted Tage Thompson, the idea was to get a talented, big-bodied center. Things have a way of not panning out regarding draft picks’ positioning, but that is one guy that better stay where he is.

In terms of any player’s development, you have to find where they are most comfortable at each stage of their progression. Clearly players will have figured out the main parts well before they turn pro.

You aren’t going to suddenly turn a goaltender into a defender or vice versa. It is unlikely that a forward will suddenly turn to the blue line or the opposite either.

When it comes to forward positioning, that’s where the fun (or lack thereof) begins. Wingers can move to the middle and centers can end up out on the wing.

As far as Thompson goes, he needs to stay in the middle. That’s where he would be most beneficial to the team, if his talent pans out the way we hope it does.

That said, nobody is putting pressure on this guy to be a number one center. Nobody, at least not myself, expects him to jump right into a top line role once he makes the Blues roster, be that 2017 or beyond.

If anyone expects that, you’re fooling yourself. There have been plenty of lower drafted guys to go onto spectacular careers, but today’s scouting is good enough that you’re unlikely to find a top-line player below the lottery spots early in his career.

That’s not to say someone cannot develop into a top liner. It is just to say that it won’t happen immediately.

So, if Thompson is best suited to the wing, that is how things will play out. In the grand scheme, I’d rather have someone capable of playing on the top line if that is where they are best suited rather than the third line trying to force him into a centering role.

If he is comfortable up the middle, though, that is where he can help the most the soonest. From what has been said, it all sounds good so far.

His AHL coach, Craig Berube spoke in glowing terms of his ability to be a centerman.

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“Anytime you can get a guy in the middle of the ice that has hands and can skate … that’s what he’s good at, so I think having him in the middle, it will benefit not only him but the team,” Berube said. “I’m only going by the skill level (but) if things turn out properly, he definitely has top-six (potential).”

It stinks to have that little qualifier in there, but Berube is simply telling it as he sees it. From what he has seen, against the competition level he has been at, Thompson has the skills to stay in the middle.

Thompson is very open to the idea, which is even more beneficial. “I’ll do whatever the team needs me to do, but I definitely feel way more comfortable in the middle,” Thompson said.

That is the big thing, to want to play at center. It is a hard position at the NHL level.

We’ve seen guys come up as centers and just figure that it is easier to be successful as a winger. Robby Fabbri is a current example.

He was still listed as a center entering the 2016-17 season. You could probably count the number of games he has played at center for an entire NHL game on one hand.

Nobody knows, except him and the staff, whether he wants to play center but the fact remains he has transitioned to the wing. That seems to be where he will be of most use.

Thompson can be best utilized up the middle. Nothing against Paul Stastny, but he’s not a top center anymore and the Blues have to find some players that could push him down the lineup.

If his talents are suited to the middle, that’s where he should stay. He’s already got the size.

Thompson, at 6’5, already has a pro height. Now, he just needs to fill out.

Thompson already plans to be at 215 lbs heading into 2017-18 and knows he needs to get stronger to play at the pro level. “The biggest thing that stood out to me was obviously the strength of guys and then the pace,” he said. “Those are the two things I noticed right away and those are two things that I’ve got to focus on this summer — speed and strength.”

Next: Robby Fabbri's Health Will Determine The Blues Success

“It was exactly what I needed and exactly what I was hoping for, a stepping stone,” Thompson said of his time with Chicago in the AHL. “Had I not made that jump at the end of the season, I wouldn’t have known probably what it takes. Ultimately the goal is to make St. Louis next season, so now that I’ve got the experience of playing in Chicago I’m more prepared for training camp.”

As said, the Blues simply need talent. If he can be a top six forward on the wings, so be it. If he can be that in the middle, that really helps this team out. Let’s hope his aspirations play out.

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