EP Rinkside mailbag: What am I seeing?

We're already a sixth of the way through the season, which doesn't feel like a lot but it kind of is. Now a week into November, we're closing in on American Thanksgiving and have already passed the "if you're more than three points out on Nov. 1, you're cooked" threshold.

But also, there are so many teams you have said going into the season were mortal locks to make the playoffs that currently aren't in a playoff spot right now — the Rangers, the Penguins, the Wild, the Blues — that it's tough to feel really confident in anyone's start. Feels like it's been a weird year!

Let’s get to it:

Justin asks: "Everybody's talking about Tage Thompson, so I guess I'll ask: Is he for real, and how do we account for the step he's taken at center this season?"

I think it depends on how you define "real." I