From what looked like a done deal has now been put back into the rumor pile, the St. Louis Blues and Buffalo Sabres might have reached a halt in action. After the KeyBank Center was chanting for Robert Thomas in their 3-2 win last night, both sides were unable to reach an agreement for the 28-year-old center.
Update: It’s believed St Louis/Buffalo went the distance on Thomas trade talks. Sounds like the Sabres aren’t willing to part with the necessary pieces. (Prospects, Player, 1st). Still teams nibbling, but the Blues are firm in what the return needs to be for the young center.
— Darren Dreger (@DarrenDreger) March 4, 2026
Reports indicated that Sabres defenseman Owen Power was a part of the return for Thomas, and that might have been the snag in this potential deal. Blues General Manager Doug Armstrong has been very firm on the asking price for No. 18 in the Blue Note, and has not wavered a bit. He will negotiate with anyone and everyone until he gets exactly what he wants.
It is not like these two teams will not revisit this later in the week, but for now, it seems that these two could not find common ground. For the Blues, Utah is likely still in play, as well as Detroit. Those two teams might have exactly what Armstrong wants, and Thomas might be willing to rid himself of his No-Trade Clause to go there.
This is going to be a crazy week for Blues fans and for the Blues organization as a whole. The players have spoke candidly about it, and the vibe is that changes will be made quickly. With a game against Seattle on Wednesday night, these changes will likely happen prior to the game to avoid the risk of injury to any of these trade pieces. That includes Thomas.