Pittsburgh Penguins reject St. Louis Blues trade offer

The Pittsburgh Penguins are trying to make a huge splash ahead of Friday afternoon's trade deadline, but Kyle Dubas won't be selling the farm to make it happen.

Rumor has the Penguins and St. Louis Blues are in trade talks involving Robert Thomas heading to the Pens. Dubas has stated he'd prefer to shift his core younger this season and next, and Thomas fits the bill as a 26-year-old in his prime, who is under contract through the 2031 season.

Apparently the Blues wanted the trade package to start with Ben Kindel, and the Penguins expressed a desire to keep Kindel on their roster, and it seems to be a sticking point between Dubas and Blues' GM Doug Armstrong.

The Penguins have a boat load of draft picks to choose from, including one first and two seconds in 2026 and 2027, and a first and three seconds in 2028. The Blues are open to moving Thomas, but want at least the equivalent of three first-round draft picks. 

Dubas appears open to moving prospect Owen Pickering, Avery Hayes, Rutger McGroarty, Peyton Kettles, Harrison Brunicke, and Joel Blomqvist. He does not appear open to adding Kindel, or Russian goaltending prospect Sergei Murashov. 

The Blues have been shopping Thomas the past couple of weeks, and after the Sabres moved on, the Boston Bruins, Penguins, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and Carolina Hurricanes have been rumored to made trade offers.

Keep an eye on the Blues and Penguins. Two teams heading in opposite directions, and two teams expected to make blockbuster trades on Friday.

Photo credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images