The St. Louis Blues reportedly had various proposals for forward Robert Thomas. Among them, the New York Islanders and Utah Mammoth were believed to be frontrunners at one point.
The astronomical asking price on Thomas is what likely led the Islanders to pivot to Brayden Schenn. Meanwhile, the Mammoth pushed back from the table and pulled the trigger on a deal for defenseman MacKenzie Weegar with the Calgary Flames.
That said, an April 17 piece in The Athletic by Jeremy Rutherford brought up an interesting point about a possible trade between the Blues and Sabres involving Thomas. Now, we all know about the Colton Parayko debacle.
Apparently, these were separate trades. While a potential deal involving Thomas simmered in the background, the two sides pushed the Parayko deal across the finish line. However, Parayko put the kibosh on that trade.
Rutherford, nevertheless, affirms that, per his sources, the Sabres could circle back to Thomas this summer.
Regardless of whether the Blues have a penchant for trading Thomas, the situation makes sense. The Sabres are in one heck of a battle with the Boston Bruins in their first-round playoff series. If Buffalo ends up getting bounced in the first round, the club will likely be looking at what else it could add to get over the hump.
Whether that means adding Thomas, or anyone else for that matter, is another question entirely. But it wouldn’t be a stretch to imagine that the Sabres would be willing to kick the tires on Thomas in the offseason.
Blues would be wise to hold onto Thomas
Now, it makes sense for the Blues to hold onto Thomas. He’s the sort of player that very seldom comes around in the NHL. And he is certainly young enough that the Blues can build their young core around him.
That said, it does make sense to at least entertain offers. You have to think that there would be a team desperate enough to pay through the nose if they believe Thomas would be the final piece to their puzzle.
That description fits the Sabres, Mammoth, and potentially other teams like the Anaheim Ducks, Minnesota Wild, and even the Philadelphia Flyers.
These are all teams on the first-round bubble who may or may not have a chance to advance. But if they flop, they might think that a franchise center like Thomas would be the piece to push them over the hump.
That’s where the Blues could clean up. I won’t get into the specifics of what the price tag on Thomas would be at this point. It’s likely going to be HIGHER now than it was at the trade deadline.
Think about.
It’s a question of supply and demand. At the deadline, the Mammoth and Sabres were hoping to lock up their postseason berths. Now that they’ve made it, a first-round flop would leave the teams and fanbases thirsty for more.
Well, by simple supply and demand, the price has gone up. It’s worth noting that the Blues don’t have to trade Thomas. So, incoming GM Alex Steen can sit back and wait for someone to knock his socks off.
If they don’t, the club can just keep Thomas for the long haul. Could anything be better than that?
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