The St. Louis Blues were dangling star center Robert Thomas for much of the second-half of the 2025-26 season, as well as up until the NHL Draft. Eventually, it came to be that he is off-limits for others to grab, and now it will be Thomas' team going forward.
He has been loyal to this team and has been delivering as much as he can with the disappointment around him. That will soon be rewarded, as he enters his prime with a retooling team filled with younger and eager players.
Thomas' reward can come in two ways, and both are heading in that direction.
Thomas for captain?
With the trade of Brayden Schenn prior to the trade deadline, the Blues are now without a captain. That being said, it is likely that a new captain will not be named before the 2026-27 season. Of course, anything can happen with Alexander Steen now in charge as General Manager, but the timing just does not seem right.
When that decision eventually has to happen, Thomas is not a guarantee but the front-runner for the letter upgrade. He has served as the alternate captain for a number of years and has been this team's best player for just as long. Every year showcases him as the leading point-getter, and this team is now being built squarely around him as the first-line center.
it makes perfect sense to give No. 18 the nod, but there are others like Jimmy Snuggerud and Philip Broberg that can also make a case.
Helping this team win its second Stanley Cup
The second way that Thomas can be rewarded for his loyalty to St. Louis is by helping bring back the second Stanley Cup. He was a rookie for the first one, and the 19-year-old Thomas established a name for himself in that playoff gauntlet.
In a few years, when the growing pains of this young core group have subsided and the championship window is officially open, Thomas will once again get a chance to be a part of a successful Blues team.
No. 18 will be a big reason why this team can make it back to the hardest achievement in this sport and can certainly help win it.
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