NHL Rumors: Could the Blues Trade Robert Thomas?

The St. Louis Blues have been quietly reshaping their roster for a few seasons now, and that steady drift has led to louder questions about whether a true core piece could eventually be moved. 

Robert Thomas is the name that hits hardest. According to RG.org's Marco D'Amico, he latest chatter suggests St. Louis is not actively shopping him, but the door is not bolted shut either if a team comes in with an aggressive, franchise-altering offer, the kind of package people still compare to blockbuster returns like the Quinn Hughes deal.

Why Robert Thomas is even in the rumor mill

On paper, trading Thomas sounds wild because top centers in their prime do not show up often, and Thomas is still only 26. 

He was the 20th overall pick in the 2017 NHL Draft and has been a long-term driver for St. Louis, putting up 65-plus points in each of the last four seasons entering this one. 

Since the 2021-22 season, Thomas has been above a point-per-game player, recording 96 goals and 342 points across 339 games played.

It’s so cool seeing Robert Thomas grow into the player we all thought he could be years ago, a Franchise Player #stlblues pic.twitter.com/KpzUZkvZgj

— Gateway Grinders (@gatewaygrinders) January 3, 2026

This year has been quieter by his standards, but he still leads the Blues with 33 points in 42 games, including 11 goals, which is why rival-team curiosity has not gone away even with the Blues insisting he is not a clearance-sale type of asset.

The real obstacles are his contract control and the Blues’ asking price

Even if St. Louis ever warmed to the idea, Thomas holds a ton of leverage. 

He is signed to an eight-year, $65 million contract with an $8+ million cap hit running through 2030–31, and any serious trade talk runs straight into the reality that he and Jordan Kyrou have no-trade protection that would need to be waived first. 

If Robert Thomas is truly on the trade board, (almost) every team should try to acquire him. Yes, he’s having a bit of a down season offensively, but in my opinion, Thomas is still a legit 1C on a great contract. And you know how hard it is to acquire a 1C in the NHL. pic.twitter.com/bp1v3Uu0WU

— Rono (@RonoAnalyst) January 8, 2026

Still, when an established No. 1 center with term has his name floating on trade boards, that is usually a sign the market is at least asking the question, even if the Blues’ answer remains “only if you blow us away.” 

Photo Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images