The St. Louis Blues have their eyes set on a successful 2025-26 season, with another playoff berth as the goal. In order to get there, there are a couple of good things that happened last season that need to carry on to next season.
One of those things was the impressive play from one of their most valuable players. In order for the Blues to be successful and carry on this momentum gained from the improbable and exciting run from 2024-25, they need Robert Thomas to be even better.
Break through the milestones
It has been a very long time since the Blues have had a member hit the 100-point club for a single season. It has also been a long time since a player has had any Hart Memorial Trophy nominations or votes. Thomas is the only player on this team who could do both of those things next season.
Thomas has been a workhorse for this Blues team throughout his entire career, and these last three seasons or so have shown him take it to another level. But, is there one more level that he can climb, one more plateau he can reach? As great as he is, can he become one of the NHL's elite players?
With momentum at their backs, this is the year that Thomas has to break the mold and set a new standard for Blues hockey. Eclipsing the 100-point marker could warrant some votes for the League MVP, but he is going to have to do so much more than that in order to keep up with Nathan MacKinnon, Connor McDavid, and company.
Unrealistic expectations?
The Blues team, in general, has some pretty unreal expectations for the 2025-26 season. The emphasis is on this team making it back to the playoffs and then going beyond the first round. Thomas might be the one player with the most amount of pressure on him to succeed.
This team flows through him as the number one center. All of the dominoes behind him fall with his initial strike. Thomas has become a part of the NHL's higher echelon of hockey players, and the Blues are thankful to have him. But, he has to pull off another masterful performance for this franchise to have any chance to go back where it belongs.