Robert Thomas is elite. He may be among the most underrated players in the entire NHL, never receiving the recognition that his play warrants, but Blues fans know how valuable he is.
Thomas finished last season with 81 points in 70 games played, a pace well above a point per game. It seems Thomas has accomplished just about everything an elite forward in the game could want up to this point, save perhaps two big benchmarks: a Hart win and reaching 100 points in a single season.
The former is not out of the question, but a much loftier goal. However, what is the likelihood Thomas approaches the century mark this coming season? I think it may be more likely than you'd expect.
Robert Thomas has made incremental improvements
Thomas entered the league at just 19-years old in 2019 and quickly established himself as a promising young forward. He began his NHL journey with 33 points in 70 NHL games, a pace that is just about half a point per game. This began a journey to stardom, slowly but surely.
In his second and third seasons, Thomas tallied 42 points in 66 games and then 12 points in 33 games during the 2021 season. The latter was more a product of the COVID pandemic, but Thomas was already showing clear signs of growth towards becoming the point per game plus player that we know him as now.
Coming out of the bubble, Thomas exploded back for 77 points in 72 games. This put him just above a point per game in only four NHL seasons, a feat he accomplished at just 22 years old. Thomas was beginning to cement himself as a top-line center and elite option for the Blues.
He took a step back in the worst season in St. Louis in recent history, registering 65 points in 73 games played in 2023. Still a solid mark in a season of turnover and disappointment.
The last two seasons, he has been solidly over the point per game pace, scoring 86 points in a full 82 games worth and just this past season registering 81 in only 70 games played. This means that his PPG rate last season was the highest of his career at 1.16 average points per game.
Reaching 100 points
The rate needed to hit the century mark in 82 games played is 1.22, not that far off where Thomas came in last season. And, there is good reason to believe he could get there even next season.
Thomas has been improving incrementally, season by season, and is showing no signs of slowing down. He will be entering his age-26 season, meaning he hasn't even hit NHL prime at 28 yet. There is still plenty of reason to believe he is still taking steps in his growth to climb even higher.
Could Thomas be the next 100-point Blue? It feels almost inevitable at the rate he's been improving. Whether it happens next season or not, only time will tell, but he will have a real and realistic shot at getting to triple digits in the coming season of hockey.
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