The Buffalo Sabres have emerged in the Robert Thomas sweepstakes, as talks between the Sabres and the St. Louis Blues are reportedly heating up.
As the 2026 NHL trade deadline approaches, more teams are interested in St. Louis Blues forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou, and the possibility of them being dealt has substantially increased.
On Feb. 28, a report from The Hockey News’ Stefen Rosner linked the New York Islanders to Blues winger Jordan Kyrou. Kyrou has now been directly linked to the Islanders, the Seattle Kraken, and the Montreal Canadiens.
On Saturday, during Elliotte Friedman’s ‘Saturday Headlines’ feature during Hockey Night In Canada, Friedman stated that there is a decent chance Thomas is moved before the March 6 trade deadline. He also linked the Utah Mammoth to Thomas.
Today, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports that the Buffalo Sabres are a team to keep an eye on in the Thomas sweepstakes and that talks between the two teams are heating up.
The Sabres would be an interesting destination for Thomas, and the Sabres have both the draft capital and the prospects to make a deal. The Sabres currently sit in second place in the Atlantic Division, trailing the Tampa Bay Lightning by four points.
The Sabres are led by captain and former 2018 first overall pick Rasmus Dahlin, alongside former Blues draft pick and 6-foot-6 center Tage Thompson. They’ve improved drastically offensively this season thanks to solid seasons from several young forward prospects. They appear to be on track to make the playoffs for the first time in 14 years and are looking to be buyers.
Robert Thomas has scored 12 goals and 35 points in 43 games this season. (Jeff Le-Imagn Images)The Athletic’s Chris Johnston stated that Buffalo is believed to be dangling the equivalent of multiple first-rounders in Thomas talks.
While the talks have reportedly intensified and interest from several teams is growing, The Athletic’s Jeremy Rutherford reports that the Blues have not yet asked Thomas to waive his no-trade clause. He also mentioned that the Blues previously had interest in Sabres defenseman Bowen Byram, but he is not expected to be included in a potential deal.
In addition to the Mammoth and the Sabres, Marco D’Amico of RG Media reported that the Canadiens have kicked tires with the Blues about Thomas, but the asking price is reportedly too high, as the Blues are looking for a package that could include prospect Michael Hage and 24-year-old defenseman Kaiden Guhle.
Ultimately, Thomas holds the power. If he wants to remain in St. Louis, he can simply decline to waive his no-trade clause. If a team he is interested in playing pulls off a deal, he agrees to be traded and moves on.
In the end, whatever team lands Thomas via trade will be better for it and will likely elevate towards Stanley Cup contenders.
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