The St. Louis Blues have been desperately looking for a superstar amongst their roster of players. They needed a guy to get out there every night and change the game with the puck on his stick. Something that has been missing since the separation from Vladimir Tarasenko and Ryan O’Reilly during the Stanley Cup run.
They gained a few of those types of players in 2024-25, but one of them stands out above the rest. Robert Thomas, who many believed to be the next great offensive powerhouse, has started coming into his own. Last season showed just how great he can be, as he was among the best in the National Hockey League, at one point.
2024-25 Expectation
Before last season, there was an expectation that the Blues were not quite there yet. That was included in Thomas’ projections for the 2024-25 season.
In 2023-24, Thomas led the Blues in assists and points, hitting a career high in both of those categories. He had 26 goals, 60 assists for 86 points, which is the first 80+ point total for a Blues player since Tarasenko in 2021-22.
Thomas crushed his expectations last season, as he willed this team into the playoffs down the stretch. He didn’t set any new career highs, but he did match that 60-assist mark, which helped immensely. He was a force to be reckoned with on the ice and took great strides in being an x-factor for the Blues.
Something that has been sorely missing. And his positive performance was contagious to some other players that elevated their game to superstardom. For instance, Jordan Kyrou's game was also elevated by Thomas.
Most Valuable Player?
Thomas established himself as the most valuable player on this Blues team. There are plenty of other candidates, like Kyrou, or Pavel Buchnevich, and let's not forget about Jordan Binnington in the net. But, the Blues do not make it into the playoffs, and force the Presidents' Trophy winners, the Winnipeg Jets, to a game seven.
For next season, the Blues have to rely on Thomas once again. There is more of an established supporting cast and an influx of proven and unproven young talent, ready to make an impact next season. If I were a betting man, I would anticipate Thomas to be the leading scorer again in 2025-26, and there is a chance that he could eventually break Brett Hull's single-season points record of 131 points. Unlikely, but possible with the talent building around him.