Thompson, a forward who leads the Sabres with 42 points (23 goals, 19 assists) in 54 games this season, joined the "NHL @TheRink" podcast Wednesday to discuss the return of center Jack Eichel to Western New York and the opportunity to play in the 2022 Tim Hortons NHL Heritage Classic at Tim Hortons Field in Hamilton on Sunday (4 p.m. ET; TNT, SN, TVAS, NHL LIVE).
Eichel is back in Buffalo for the first time as an opponent, playing for the Vegas Golden Knights against the Sabres at KeyBank Center on Thursday (7 p.m. ET; ESPN+, HULU, NHL LIVE).
The Sabres traded Eichel, their former captain who they selected with the No. 2 pick in the 2015 NHL Draft, to Vegas on Nov. 4.
"I think it's going to be crazy energy," Thompson told co-hosts Dan Rosen and Shawn P. Roarke. "He's been here for a long time and he's done so much for the Sabres and this organization. We're excited to play against him. We want the opportunity to try to shut him down."
Thompson also talked about the opportunity to play in the Heritage Classic on Sunday.
It's the third and final NHL outdoor game this season, following the Winter Classic at Target Field in Minneapolis on Jan. 1 and the Stadium Series game at Nissan Stadium in Nashville on Feb. 26.
"I think the exposure for us and our team is going to be great," Thompson said. "We're a young group right now. We're going through some learning curves and some growing pains I think that's only going to make us better, just learning to work through this adversity.
"Obviously the season is not going the way we want it, but that was one of the messages we had going into the season, was knowing we were going to face some challenges and how do we respond to those challenges. There's no better way to show the character of our group on national television in a game like that. It'll be a good opportunity for us."
The Sabres (18-32-8) are seventh in the Atlantic Division and likely will miss the Stanley Cup Playoffs for the 11th straight season.
Thompson said the biggest thing he wants to see from the Sabres through the rest of this season is consistency.
"We show flashes where we can be a dominant team in this league and then we show games where we're sleeping," he said. "If we can learn how to be consistent night in, night out, we're going to be, I think, a team that is tough to handle in this league. The biggest thing is we've got a lot of guys that believe it and that are dedicated to try to turn it around."
In addition to the interview with Thompson, the conversation during this episode focused on Washington Capitals forward Alex Ovechkin catching Jaromir Jagr for third all-time in goals with 766, Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews' push to score 60 or more goals this season, New York Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin's candidacy for the Hart Trophy as NHL most valuable player, and the New York Islanders' plans leading into the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline on March 21.
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