Elliotte Friedman reveals details of failed Robert Thomas blockbuster trade involving several teams

Thomas is 26, he was drafted 20th overall in 2017 by the St. Louis Blues, and he is signed through 2030-31. He carried 15-24-39 in 45 games into Saturday after returning from a minor leg procedure.

That is why the ask stayed massive. The Blues were not moving a rental, they were protecting a top-six pivot who can tilt a game with puck control.

For Kyle Dubas, the fit was obvious. Thomas would have added speed through the middle, cleaner zone entries, and another real driver for the man advantage.

The Penguins are 31-17-13, so this was not fake deadline noise. It was a serious swing at a player who could help today and still matter three springs from now.

Penguins fans can accept a miss, but this one stings because the hockey logic was so clear.

Sidney Crosby is out and Evgeni Malkin is now suspended, so the middle of the ice looks thinner than the standings say. Thomas would have softened that hit right away.

Instead, Dubas kept the bigger chips in his pocket and settled for smaller work. That protects future assets, but it also leaves Pittsburgh searching for offense by committee against Philadelphia.

Thomas also fits the age bridge this roster needs. He is young enough to help the next version of the Penguins, not just the current one.

That matters when the deadline market gets brutal. A controllable centre with term, production, and top-line habits is the kind of piece teams almost never discount.

So this failed chase says two things at once. Dubas identified the right player, and the price to land him was probably too rich for a team that still has to balance now with later.

Now the next step is simple and very human, beat the Flyers, survive this thin stretch, and see whether this near miss becomes a summer story instead.

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