The center market is heating up ahead of the NHL trade deadline on Friday, and insider Elliotte Friedman told Sportsnet that one player who could be on the move is St. Louis Blues star Robert Thomas.
What makes Thomas’ situation unique is that, unlike others mentioned in the report, he is in the third year of an eight-year deal with the Blues, which seemingly would have made him less likely to be dealt. According to Friedman, though, that does not appear to be the case.
The 26-year-old has appeared in 43 games to this point in the NHL season, scoring 12 goals and tallying 23 assists in 18:55 of ice time per game. Those numbers are not quite up to par with what he accomplished back in 2023-24, when he achieved 86 points and averaged 20:58 on the ice, nor does it measure up to last year’s 81 and 19:57.
Some of that can be attributed to missing significant time due to a lower body injury that required minor surgery, which he returned from Sunday. He also tended to a family matter during the hiatus, causing him to miss more time.
A former Stanley Cup champion with the team in the 2018-19 season, Thomas has spent his entire career with the Blues, and moving on now, in the midst of a lengthy deal, would be a major development for both sides. Still, Friedman named the Utah Mammoth as a potential suitor for Thomas, and it is easy to see why.
Mammoth general manager Bill Armstrong drafted Thomas and was in the Blues’ front office for his first two seasons with the organization. More recently, he has amassed a treasure trove of young talent in Utah and currently has his team sitting pretty with $25 million in cap space, more than enough to make a play for Thomas.
On the ice, Thomas brings the Mammoth veteran leadership and presence. He is a smart player, protects the puck as well as anyone, and has proven capable of consistently tallying 80 points, as evidenced in his last two seasons.
The Blues are sitting in last place in their division and second-to-last in the Western Conference. With no immediate relief in sight, trading Thomas to a team firmly in the playoff hunt and recouping prospects and potential draft picks is the right call for the long-term future of a team less than a decade removed from their last Stanley Cup.
Building a young team, with future playmakers, is the surest way back up the standings. The alternative is to hold onto the past, let the team continue to fade, then undergo a massive rebuild that takes even longer to bring back to prominence.
While the organization could always hold off and build around Thomas, the likelihood that they will receive the king’s ransom that they likely will if they trade him before Friday’s deadline is low.
Maximize on his value now, reap the rewards, and wish the center well in Utah.
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