Sunday evening’s trade involving Brady Tkachuk has sent a massive ripple effect throughout the league. While the trade itself isn’t much of a surprise, the return the Ottawa Senators got from the Florida Panthers is.
The Senators got three first-round picks, including the 9th overall selection, a late first-rounder, and a 2029 first-round selection. The Sens also landed a 2030 second-rounder for Tkachuk.
So, that’s four great picks for one player. That return got me thinking: This Senators-Panthers trade could very well be a solid template for the St. Louis Blues. If the Blues are ever serious about trading Robert Thomas, would it be crazy to demand three first-round picks, including a top-10 selection?
The narrative surrounding Thomas is that the club isn’t moving him this season, if ever. But should the Blues ever get really serious about trading Thomas, GM Alex Steen could point to the Brady Tkachuk trade and say to whoever is interested that that’s the asking price.
The question would be: Are there any teams in a position to actually pay that price?
A truly motivated team would find the pieces to make deal work with Blues
The Florida Panthers proved that a truly motivated team can make anything happen. The Cats pulled off an earlier trade on Sunday, getting a first-round and second-round pick from the Seattle Kraken in exchange for Mackie Samoskevich.
That first-rounder, the 25th pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, went to the Senators in the Tkachuk trade. With that in mind, who’s to say that a team truly motivated to land Robert Thomas wouldn’t pull off a similar move?
Even if that were the case, another question emerges: Would a top-10 pick and a late first-rounder be enough to move the needle?
In the Senators’ case, it was obvious that Tkachuk didn’t want to remain in Ottawa. So, the Senators actually got a great deal. But in the Blues’ case, there’s no indication that Thomas wants out. That’s why St. Louis can afford to really put the screws to anyone who really wants Thomas.
It’s worth pointing out that various first-round picks wouldn’t necessarily be ones that the Blues would want to hold onto. They could be weaponized in a trade involving another deal.
Ultimately, the Tkachuk trade would be the starting point for any conversation involving Thomas. But if there is a team out there really willing to give up three first-rounders, including a top 10 pick, it would certainly be in the running. Perhaps the only thing missing would be a solid prospect of a rising star to complete the deal.
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