Pittsburgh Hockey Insider has no direct affiliation to the Pittsburgh Penguins, NHL or NHLPA
Michael Russo's report on Robert Thomas says the St. Louis Blues could sell big this summer
Photo credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Michael Russo put Robert Thomas back in play, and a 26-year-old No. 20 pick with a live full no-trade clause suddenly feels like summer business.
Russo's point on Real Kyper & Bourne matters because this sounds less like deadline smoke and more like advance work for June.
Thomas is 26, St. Louis drafted him in 2017, first round, 20th overall, and he is signed through 2030-31 at an $8.125 million cap hit.
His full no-trade clause kicked in for 2025-26, which is why this always looked easier in the summer than at the deadline.
A contender can build the whole cap picture in July, not force it through one frantic Friday.
You can almost feel the room shift when the rumor gets framed as table-setting instead of a failed trade chase.
Re Robert Thomas/Blues: "They maybe didn't go to him for a trade; I think what they're doing is setting the table for a potential move this summer."
- Michael Russo
- Michael Russo
Thomas also keeps producing. He left Vancouver with 16-30-46 after setting up a goal in a 3-1 Blues win on March 21.
That matters because buyers are not shopping for a middle-six patch. They are shopping for a true top-six center who can carry possession and feed shooters off the rush.
Robert Thomas puts St. Louis Blues on watch
Fans can read this for what it is, a front office testing how big the market could get.
The Blues are 28-30-11 and host Washington on March 24, so the short-term hockey still matters even if the louder story is summer structure.
On the ice, Thomas fixes two problems fast for a buyer. He drives the middle, and he makes the man advantage cleaner with one-touch passes.
For St. Louis, the question is bigger than one player. It is whether the next core peaks faster with Thomas in it, or with the haul he could bring back.
That is why this rumor has teeth now. Summer opens cap space, expands bidders, and gives Doug Armstrong a cleaner board to redraw.
If this really is table-setting, the next big Thomas story may hit long before training camp.
Also read on HockeyUnplugged :
NHL issues explanation for controversial goalie interference no-call in Penguins game
NHL issues explanation for controversial goalie interference no-call in Penguins game
| POLL | ||
MARS 22|52 ANSWERS Michael Russo's report on Robert Thomas says the St. Louis Blues could sell big this summer Should the St. Louis Blues seriously explore a Robert Thomas trade this summer? | ||
| Yes | 41 | 78.8 % |
| No | 11 | 21.2 % |
| List of polls | ||