Monday night was a very important night for the St. Louis Blues. They were able to rally back and beat the defending Western Conference champions, the Edmonton Oilers, 3-2, after falling behind 2-0. As impressive a win as this was, it was overshadowed by the return of Robert Thomas. The 26-year-old center had missed the previous four games due to an upper-body injury. In his return, Thomas registered the game-tying goal and assists, earning him first start honors.
Thomas has been one of the primary offensive weapons for the Blues this season. In nine games this season, he has two goals and six assists for eight points. He is also on a four-game point streak in the last four games he has played. Having him back in the lineup on Monday was a welcome sight for both the teams and fans. If the Blues want to return to the playoffs, then they'll need Thomas to continue his explosive play.
Robert Thomas is crucial if the Blues are looking to make a run this season
It was clear that the Blues missed Thomas during his absence. They lost all four games they played while Thomas was out of the lineup. A large reason for this was their inability to generate offense. They averaged 2.5 goals per game without Thomas and gave up 4.5 goals per game. They also had an average margin of defeat of two goals during this stretch. While it's a short sample size, it's clear that Thomas gives the Blues the extra boost they need on offense.
The advanced metrics also support this claim. According to Natural Stat Trick, Thomas has a 4.59 xGF and a xG percentage of 42.90%. While his Corsi numbers are slightly below average, it's clear that Thomas's offensive production is sustainable and should continue for the rest of the season. The metrics for the lines on which Thomas plays also demonstrate his strong offensive play. According to MoneyPuck, the two main lines Thomas has played on have generated a xGoals percentage of 48.45 and a Corsi percentage of 47.1%.
Thomas's offensive ability was not the only thing the Blues were missing. Since the start of the 2023-24 season, he has been one of the Blues' alternate captains. He is also one of the longest-tenured players on the team, having been with the team since the 2018-19 season. With a young and inexperienced team like the Blues, leadership is key. It will help keep them focused on the season and prevent outside pressure from affecting the young players.
Although it was a short sample size, this recent stretch proved just how vital to the team Thomas is. If he were to miss an extended period of time, any hopes the Blues had for this season would evaporate.