Blues & Kings Trade Forwards
The Blues have acquired forward Akil Thomas from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for Nikita Alexandrov. #stlblues
— St. Louis Blues (@StLouisBlues) December 2, 2025
Alexandrov is 25 years old and was originally drafted by the Blues in 2019 at the end of the second round (62nd). He is on a one-year contract at $775,000 AAV and is set to become a UFA after the season. He has only played 51 NHL games in his career, spanning 2022-23 to 2023-24, scoring three goals and nine points while playing under 10 minutes per game.
Meanwhile, Alexandrov has been excellent in the AHL, proving that this might just be the change in scenery he needs to get another opportunity in the NHL. He has three goals and 14 points in 18 games this season, put up 21 goals and 49 points in 48 games last season, and recorded 22 goals and 45 points in 48 games in the two seasons prior to that. He can absolutely produce and is the better player in this trade.
The Blues have a better prospect pool skill-wise, so Thomas brings a different element that they may need to call up at times. The 25-year-old has only played 32 games in the NHL, scoring four goals and seven points, but he spent some time in the NHL last season.
He was drafted in the second round (51st) in 2018 by the Kings and has spent parts of five seasons with the Ontario Reign in the AHL. His best season saw him produce 22 goals and 46 points in 64 games in 2023-24, but he plays a physical game. The Blues needed to change some things up and maybe he sees some time with St. Louis this season.
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