The St. Louis Blues are in contention for a playoff spot with 17 games left in the 2024-25 season. This year has showcased everything you could want in terms of drama and mystery.
The final leg of this season is turning out to be a thriller. There has been a player who's earned his nomination of the best player on this team, and this player will push this team over the hump and into the playoffs.
That player is Robert Thomas.
MVP?
There is no question that Thomas has solidified himself as a fantastic player on this Blues team. He has become dependable, both in his performance and his leadership skills as well. Since the 4 Nations Face-off break, he has been the most valuable player on the ice.
With 17 goals and 34 assists for 51 points in 53 games this season, Thomas has been a recurring name on the stat sheet. Earlier last week, he made it to an 11-game point streak, with 10 of those games having a contributing assist. That helped the Blues win key games against the Los Angeles Kings and Eastern and Western Conference titans, the Washington Capitals and Colorado Avalanche.
Another area in which he has been excelling, which has aided the successes of his linemates and the defensive unit, is his ability to win face-offs. This season, he has won a career-high 56.2% of the draws. Amazingly, that is the second-best for the team behind Radek Faksa.
Transfer of captaincy?
Could the Blues follow suit with the Toronto Maple Leafs by transferring captaincy? The Leafs moved the "C" from John Tavares to Auston Matthews, and it seemed to be a seamless transition. The Blues could do the same thing with Captain Brayden Schenn. But, who could take the mantle than a 25-year-old rising star?
Thomas should absolutetly succeed Schenn for captaincy, whether he is still on the team or not. Schenn resounded by not waiving his no-trade clause at the Trade Deadline and staying with the Blues, but this team needs to embrace its youthful members. Next season will have an influx of young players coming in, and they will need guidance.
Thomas can be the player to lead these younger stars, as a younger star himself. If the Blues want to look toward the future, making Thomas the leader of the next generation could be very beneficial.