After months of speculation and rumor, the Robert Thomas trade-bait saga has potentially been put to rest. The St. Louis Blues are done shopping their first-line center, and most valuable player on this roster.
Robert Thomas trade rumors can be put to rest. The #stlblues are not looking to move their #1 center. Expect Thomas to be on the roster when training camp begins in September.
— Andy Strickland (@andystrickland) June 6, 2026
Andy Strickland of Fanduel Sports Network had this to say late Friday night, and it is an obvious but assuring statement. Was there ever really any chance of the Blues moving on from Thomas this summer?
A wise choice
There is no need for the Blues to be shopping their best player, especially when he continues to improve, as he is completely enthralled in his prime years. This is where we are going to see the absolute best of Thomas, and the Blues are going to need it as the rest of this team is moving toward a younger direction.
The recent bombshell out of Detroit was one instance of many as to whether or not Thomas would be traded. With Dylan Larkin seeking a new home after 11 years, the Blues could have grabbed him for either Thomas as a one-for-one trade or Jordan Kyrou and some additional piece of some kind.
Now, it seems as though they are going to completely move past that first trade idea and keep Thomas for the long term. At 26 years old, going to be 27 next month, No. 18 has to remain as the centerpiece of this Blues' future plans.
Leadership, stellar performance on the ice, and being one of the last remaining players from the 2018-19 Stanley Cup-winning team is going to be a necessary help for what is to come. These young players are going to need Thomas' guidance, and it could be because they refer to him as "captain".
If this is the final nail in the rumor-mill saga regarding Thomas, it was an entertaining and tireless run. I guess it comes with the territory of the team being as bad as it was in 2025-26, and why they need to make some changes.
Moving on from Thomas should have never been an option, and now, it doesn't look like it will be.
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