Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman stated that there is a "decent chance" that the St. Louis Blues move Robert Thomas prior to the March 6 NHL trade deadline.
The NHL trade deadline is quickly approaching, and one of the teams to watch is the St. Louis Blues.
The Blues are expected to be among, if not the most active, sellers on Friday. At the moment, it feels almost inevitable that captain Brayden Schenn and veteran defender Justin Faulk are moved, but a recent report from Elliotte Friedman suggests that center Robert Thomas could be on the move.
During Friedman's ‘Saturday Headlines’ segment on Hockey Night In Canada, Friedman discussed the four big-name centers who could be dealt by the deadline. Thomas was included in the four, as he also mentioned Calgary Flames’ Nazem Kadri, New York Rangers’ Vincent Trocheck, and Nashville Predators’ Ryan O’Reilly.
Regarding Thomas, he said there is a decent chance he is moved and that he could be open to waiving his no-trade clause for the right destination.
“I think it actually could potentially happen (before Friday’s deadline), and I have to say, I’m a bit surprised about that,” Friedman said. “I think it’s heated up around him a bit.”
The belief around Thomas’ availability in the trade market was known, but as a 26-year-old center in the third year of an eight-year contract at an $8.125 million cap hit, some would infer that situation to be taken care of in the off-season or that the Blues may find him too valuable to be dealt.
Interest from clubs around the NHL has existed for quite some time, but most insiders have indicated that the price the Blues have set for Thomas may be too high.
The Detroit Red Wings have been linked to Thomas previously, and the Minnesota Wild have been mentioned as a potential fit, but Friedman said the team to keep an eye on is the Utah Mammoth.
The Mammoth currently hold the first wild card spot in the Western Conference despite playing in a stacked Central Division and while being without Logan Cooley for 29 games.
The Mammoth are one of the better defensive teams in the NHL, but they are a middle-of-the-pack team offensively. Thomas would be a massive addition to their forward group that already rosters skilled forwards such as Cooley, Clayton Keller, Dylan Guenther, J.J. Peterka, and Nick Schmaltz.
Robert Thomas has notched 11 goals and 33 points in 42 games this season. (Bob Frid-Imagn Images)The price for Thomas has deterred teams from making offers, but the Mammoth have a stacked prospect pool that contains the likes of Tij Iginla, Cole Beaudoin, Caleb Desnoyers, Daniil But, Maveric Lamoureux, and Dmitri Simashev. Additionally, they own all their first-round picks in the next three drafts, as well as five second-round picks and five third-round picks.
The Mammoth could match the Blues’ price tag and still have several prospects and picks to either deal away or add to their lineup in the near future.
Including the Mammoth’s ability to match the Blues’ price tag, Friedman said that there is a connection between Thomas and the Mammoth organization. Utah GM Bill Armstrong drafted the Aurora, Ont., native. Armstrong was the director of amateur scouting for the Blues when Thomas was selected 20th overall in 2017.
Thomas has been activated from the injured reserve and will be in the lineup today against the Wild. With two more games before the trade deadline, there is now a “decent chance” Thomas will be playing his final games as a St. Louis Blue.
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