After scoring 32 points (19 goals, 13 assists) in 34 games with UConn last season, he had two points (one goal, one assist) in 16 AHL regular-season games and three points (two goals, one assist) in 10 games during the Calder Cup Playoffs. The points didn't come easily.
"I think my year in Chicago; I wouldn't say it's a bad year, it's just another step," Thompson said. "You're going to face adversity in your career, and I think that little stint there in Chicago is definitely going to help me down the road, prepare to play in the NHL because even when you make it, every day is a tryout because there's always someone trying to take your spot.
"It's always good to have that little adversity. If things are always going your way, it's not necessarily a good thing."
Thompson said he is at about 200 pounds and that he'd like to be 210 to 215 by the time the season begins. He is expected to be at training camp in September after playing in the 2017 Traverse City Prospects Tournament in Traverse City, Michigan, from Sept. 8-12.
"This is a huge summer for [Thompson]," general manager Doug Armstrong said. "I think July and August are huge months for him to see what type of foundation we can continue to build for him. He's obviously got size, he's got a great shot, but it's getting that body to the size where he can handle the grind of the NHL style of players."
Thompson knows he could play a full season in the AHL before reaching the NHL.
"Obviously I'm going to try and make it as far as the training goes, training back home in Connecticut and then come out [to St. Louis] probably a week or two before Traverse City," he said. "The plan is just to take it a step at a time. You can't rush it. Ultimately, it's going to be up to the staff when I play, so we'll see when the time comes."