Red Wings & Blues Linked To Huge Trade

St. Louis Blues forwards Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou

The St. Louis Blues have some huge names littering Trade Boards around the NHL as we steam towards the March 6th trade deadline. One of the biggest is 26-year-old center Robert Thomas.

The Detroit Red Wings are focused on adding a top-six talent on offense as they battle for position near the top of the Atlantic Division. Could a deal be in the works that would see Thomas transported to the Motor City?

According to insider Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet, it's a distinct possibility.

Rumours about Thomas (and other Blues players) have been swirling for a while, and if there was nothing to them, you'd think they would have been kiboshed by now. But they're not going away, and now the players are being asked about them.

Kypreos feels that Thomas would waive his NTC for the right situation, and the way things are going in Detroit this year and for the foreseeable future, that could the situation.

Thomas seems to be linked to Detroit, and if a team has the assets to satisfy Armstrong, my best guess is that the Red Wings are it. They are looking for an impactful guy.

Red Wings have what it takes to pry Robert Thomas from St. Louis

The Red Wings own all of their first-round picks over the next four drafts, and, in fact, all of their first three rounds of picks, save for one second-rounder, through to 2029.

Detroit also has a strong prospect pool in its system, with a handful of them who look close to NHL-ready.

Thomas himself has addressed the trade rumors, and while he does own a full no-trade clause, he understands that with the season the Blues are having (last place in the Central Division), this is all part of the business.

“We know where we’re at in the standings,” Thomas said recently. “When you’re in this position, stuff like that happens. You’ve just got to own it. I’m a big part of the reason we’re here to where we’re at. I know stuff like that’s going to come and go. It’s been happening for the last couple of years.”

Thomas is, as he alluded to, having a down season, like the rest of his team, with just 11 goals and 33 points in 42 games. He's a three-time 20-goal scorer and a point-per-game player over the previous four years.

He still has five years to run on his deal, with an $8.125M AAV.