The St. Louis Blues have successfully mixed and matched line combinations all season, and one of the biggest reasons why they have been effective is the play of Robert Thomas.
When you are filling out your ballot for the 2021-22 St. Louis Blues MVP award, a few names come to mind that include Ville Husso and Vladimir Tarasenko, but the dark horse in this conversation is the 22-year old Robert Thomas.
Head coach Craig Berube has recently discovered the elite line of Pavel Buchnevich with Thomas and Tarasenko weeks after Thomas was paired with Jordan Kyrou and Tarasenko.
It’s clear that the play of the young center is the reason why so many different line combinations have been successful, and Thomas’ stats are reaping the benefits as well.
It goes beyond the fact that he is playing 18:57 per game, which is second on the team only behind captain Ryan O’Reilly. Thomas is one of the NHL’s elite playmakers, and putting him with the Blues’ best goal scorers is producing a great result.
In 40 games this season, Thomas has produced 36 points, six goals, and 30 assists, and as a result, he is fourth on the team in scoring behind Tarasenko, Kyrou, and Buchnevich.
More than the numbers show, Thomas is proving to the team that he can play in a myriad of roles for the team. He has played on the team’s third line and has even made his way to the top of the Blues’ depth chart at times this season.
Having played with virtually everyone on the Blues roster at some point this season, Thomas has the ability to be slotted in anywhere in the lineup and be effective while doing so. Recently, it has been with a pair of Russians.
There simply is just not a player like Thomas on the team, and at just 22 years old, he is showing that he will be one of the best playmaking forwards in the NHL and whatever comes across Doug Armstrong’s desk at the trade deadline, he shouldn’t even think twice about moving Thomas.