The Toronto Maple Leafs [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs] have reportedly kicked tires on St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas. According to TSN's Darren Dreger on TSN 1050's First Up [https://post.futurimedia.com/chumam/playlist/listen-59741.html] with Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving checked in with the Blues on Thomas last week. "Lots of Robert Thomas speculation over the course of the weekend, and frankly — I wouldn't say over the course of the weekend, this is more last week — Treliving and the Maple Leafs kicked tires on Robert Thomas," Dreger reported [https://x.com/FirstUp1050/status/2028457605719319042?s=20]. "And why wouldn't you, right? Again, there's a player who's got term. If you can somehow figure it out, now what's it going to cost? A significant amount. It's not Easton Cowan. Are you willing to have the Matthew Knies conversation? But that seemed to cool over the course of the weekend." The 26-year-old has played 43 games this season with the Blues, totalling 12 goals and 35 points [https://www.nhl.com/blues/player/robert-thomas-8480023]. Despite working through several injuries this year, Thomas has averaged 18:55 of ice time, the most among St. Louis forwards. He's in the third year of an eight-year contract, which pays him $8.125 million annually. From a quick glance, Thomas joining the Maple Leafs makes sense. There's history with Craig Berube, with whom the forward won the Stanley Cup in 2019 on the Blues. Thomas would also be the perfect player to take over the second-line center [https://www.dailyfaceoff.com/teams/st-louis-blues/line-combinations] position for John Tavares, who's battling Father Time. However, the deeper you look at the trade, the less it makes sense for Toronto. Who's Most Likely To Be Traded Away From Maple Leafs At 2026 NHL Trade Deadline? [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/23914fb9-8e1b-4fc1-b6ed-a288e856c86c.jpeg] Who's Most Likely To Be Traded Away From Maple Leafs At 2026 NHL Trade Deadline? While McMann and Laughton are at the top of the list, there still seems to be the possibility that both get re-signed. [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/who-s-most-likely-to-be-traded-away-from-maple-leafs-at-2026-nhl-trade-deadline] As Dreger points out, Toronto would have to give up Cowan, Knies, and likely even more to acquire Thomas from the Blues. That alone should turn the Maple Leafs away almost immediately. Toronto needs players like them for its future. Cowan has yet to show his true potential with the Maple Leafs. Meanwhile, Knies has demonstrated he can be one of the NHL's top power forwards when he's at the top of his game. Trading for Thomas feels like a short-term band-aid for a team with several problems. They need to figure out what they're going to do with pending unrestricted free agents [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/toronto-maple-leafs/latest-news/bobby-mcmann-open-to-the-possibility-of-re-joining-maple-leafs-should-he-get-traded-at-deadline] like Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton before doing any of the heavy swinging.
