The Athletic released the fourth part of their matchmaker series, and this edition featured St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas.
Thomas’ name is beginning to build up a lot of steam in the trade market, although many reports have indicated that the price to acquire Thomas is high. Understandably, the Blues are expecting a large haul for Thomas given his age and contract.
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Thomas is just 26 years old and under contract at $8.125 million until 2031. He has the experience and now the pedigree of a No.1 center. Most NHL teams would be interested in trading for Thomas, but the primary obstacle is matching the high price tag.
Today, The Athletic’s James Mirtle and Chris Johnston played matchmaker, naming ideal situations for Thomas.
Johnston’s guess is the Los Angeles Kings, who have shown they aren’t afraid to make a big splash and believe they have a team capable of winning it all. They recently acquired Artemi Panarin at a fairly low price, which means they have the assets to acquire Thomas.
“He is a bona fide No. 1 center who is under contract into his early 30s,” said Johnston. “It’s not too often a player fitting that profile is available on the NHL’s trade market. This is a rare opportunity.
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“One of the best parts of the Panarin trade for the Kings is that they didn’t have to surrender any premium assets to complete it. The Blues are going to need a haul to part with Thomas, but the Kings are in a position to make an aggressive bid with first-round picks in 2026 and 2027 still in the cupboard, plus other young players and prospects to deal.”
Blues’ Steep Asking Price For Robert Thomas And Justin Faulk Revealed
Mirtle went a different route, naming the Carolina Hurricanes as his prediction. The Hurricanes, more so than the Kings, have shown they have no fear of acquiring top talent on the trade market. Their only issue is retaining that player when their contract expires, but they wouldn’t have to worry about that with Thomas.
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“The Hurricanes have missed on Artemi Panarin, Mitch Marner and (sort of) Mikko Rantanen and Jake Guentzel of late, but Thomas would be an even better fit as a center, given he’d allow Logan Stankoven to shift to the wing and give Carolina two higher-end scoring lines,” Mirtle began.
“Thomas has a full no-trade clause in his deal and five years remaining, so some of this would be contingent on where his head is at, but cap space and playing time won’t be an issue in Raleigh. His exceptional vision and two-way ability would fit in well under coach Rod Brind’Amour.
“Unlike most of the league’s contenders, the Hurricanes have a first-round pick this year, too: the one they received from the Stars for Rantanen at last year’s deadline. But it’ll take a bigger haul than that to coax the Blues to give up one of their biggest stars.”
Robert Thomas has scored 11 goals and 33 points in 42 games this season. (Jeff Curry-Imagn Images)
Both the Kings and the Hurricanes are logical destinations, but they aren’t the only two teams capable of making this move. Although the Minnesota Wild gave up a lot to acquire Quinn Hughes, they still have several enticing prospects, and reports say they could be open to trading goaltender Jesper Wallstedt to acquire a stud forward like Thomas.
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Additionally, the Montreal Canadiens, Detroit Red Wings, and the Seattle Kraken have reported interest in Thomas.
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