It's been nearly a week since the trade deadline, but speculation persists regarding the futures of St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas and New York Rangers center Vincent Trocheck.
Robert Thomas was a fixture in the rumor mill leading up to last Friday's NHL trade deadline.
The 26-year-old St. Louis Blues center was linked to the Buffalo Sabres, Utah Mammoth, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, Boston Bruins and Carolina Hurricanes.
Thomas remained in St. Louis as the deadline passed. Most observers assumed that was due to the Blues' high asking price, reportedly seeking the equivalent of three first-round draft picks.
Under contract through 2030-31, Thomas has an average annual value of $8.125 million. He also carries a full no-trade clause. Most observers assume that the Blues could attempt to move him during the off-season, when teams have more salary-cap flexibility and a willingness to make big moves.
If the Blues received any offers tempting enough to move Thomas, he wasn't aware of it.
On Monday, Thomas told ESPN's Greg Wyshynski he was never approached by Blues management about waiving his no-trade clause. He stressed that he never asked to be traded, remains focused on helping the Blues, and enjoys living in St. Louis.
Meanwhile, the trade speculation surrounding Thomas hasn't gone away. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic believes the Sabres and Mammoth could revisit their interest in the playmaking center. He also suggested the Canadiens, Red Wings, Bruins and Los Angeles Kings might get involved.
Turning to the New York Rangers, Vincent Trocheck was also among the notable names surfacing in media trade chatter before the deadline. Like Thomas, the high asking price for the 32-year-old center was considered the reason why he wasn't moved.
The Bruins, Hurricanes, Red Wings and Minnesota Wild were believed to be among the suitors for Trocheck.
On March 8, Kevin Paul Dupont of The Boston Globe reported that multiple sources claimed the Rangers may have sought center Fraser Minten and a first-round pick, or Minten, center Mark Kastelic and a first- or second-round pick.
If so, it's not surprising that the Bruins passed. They might've been willing to part with one of their two first-rounders in the next two drafts, but they weren't going to include the promising Minten.
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