The Buffalo Sabres are in need of a spark after losing their last three games. They seem to be getting just that this Tuesday night, with star forward Tage Thompson reportedly trending toward a return to action after missing the last nine Buffalo contests due to an upper-body injury, per Bill Hoppe of the Olean Times Herald.

After such a long absence, Tage Thompson could be a little rusty if he gets to skate against the Detroit Red Wings later tonight. Nevertheless, just learning that the 26-year-old forward is close to returning, at the very least, is fantastic news for the Sabres, who are coming off a 2-1 loss at home to the Nashville Predators last Sunday.

Thompson, who sustained the said injury when a puck left his left wrist during a Nov. 14 meeting with the Boston Bruins, as played in only 16 games so far in the 2023-24 NHL regular season with six goals and six assists.

In the nine games Thompson has missed, the Sabres have gone 3-5-1 with their opponents outscoring them, 33-24. Buffalo also posted just a 96.9 PDO during that stretch, which could be taken as a sign that things are about to get better for the team. With Thompson on pace to return, the Sabres' offense, at least, should be a bigger threat.

On the season, the Sabres are just 25th in the league with 2.84 goals per contest and 19th in shooting percentage (9.8%).

Thompson can be expected to skate against the Red Wings along with Jeff Skinner and Casey Mittelstadt on the top line.