NHL analysts Jeff Marek and Greg Wyshynski discussed Tage Thompson’s future with the Buffalo Sabres on The Sheet. Thompson, 27, signed a seven-year, $49.9 million contract, earning $7,142,857 in salary per season. The contract runs through 2029-30. The Sabers have a 14-year playoff drought, the longest in NHL history.On Tuesday, Marek and Wyshynski raised concerns about Thompson losing motivation if Buffalo struggles again."One of the things I wonder about, considering the history of the Buffalo Sabres, if it's the same thing over again this year," Marek said."I wonder ... You mentioned Tage Thompson. If you're Tage Thompson and it's the same thing all over again, what do you do? Like, are you gonna hand over another season?"Wyshynski responded:"Are you saying he's about to Ryan O'Reilly himself out of Buffalo?"The Sabres traded Ryan O'Reilly to the St Louis Blues in 2018, and in the same trade, they received Tage Thompson. O'Reilly was traded following his comments about the lack of motivation playing in Buffalo."We’re stuck in this mindset of just being OK with losing," O’Reilly said in April 2018. "I feel too it’s really crept into myself. Over the course of the year I lost myself a lot, ... It’s disappointing, it’s sad."I feel throughout the year I’ve lost the love of the game multiple times and just need to get back to it because it’s eating myself up."So, Marek said players can lose passion, affecting both their career and mental health."But does someone like that—you don't take Thompson, like, just say, okay, like, ‘That's it, I'm done,'" Marek said. "Like, there's only so long you can do this where it's, like, really detrimental to your career, to say nothing of your mental health."Keeping Thompson engaged is a priority for the Sabres. But for that, they need to build a winning environment.Tage Thompson's strong season and Sabres' pressureTage Thompson had a strong 2024-25 season, scoring 44 goals and 28 assists in 76 games. Previously, Thompson scored 47 goals and career high of 94 points in 2022-23.The Sabres face pressure to perform to keep Thompson motivated. Developing Jack Quinn and other young players will be important. Quinn scored a career-high 39 points in 74 games last season. Additionally, the Sabres must address past struggles to compete in the playoffs. It will help maintain the team’s core talent.