Carolina Hurricanes

Hurricanes Prepared To Trade Former Top Prospect For Robert Thomas

Carolina wants to make a big splash and might be willing to give up a top prospect to do it

by
Nate Duffett
January 23, 2026

The Carolina Hurricanes have to be wary of upsetting the makeup of their team too much. They sit six points ahead of the Pittsburgh Penguins for first in the Metropolitan Division, and they are only getting stronger. However, when you have the chance to acquire a former Stanley Cup Champion in Robert Thomas, who is still only 26, you must explore it.

The St. Louis Blues have shockingly started looking at possible trade opportunities for the center. The Blues have been treading water for much of the past two seasons, and they need a fresh start. One way to do that would be to trade Thomas for a younger player who can keep their contending window open longer and match up better with the primes of some of their other best players.

David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period appeared on The Sheet with Jeff Marek on Friday and revealed a shocking rumor that the Hurricanes could put a massive piece on the table to acquire Thomas and further elevate their Stanley Cup chances.

"I've heard that Carolina is willing to move Nikishin, if they're bringing that caliber of player back."@TheFourthPeriod shares the latest on Robert Thomas and how serious the Carolina Hurricanes are about making a big move👀#stlblues #CarolinaCulture pic.twitter.com/wmZKH4g9tJ
— The Sheet with Jeff Marek (@thesheethockey) January 23, 2026

Hurricanes’ Depth without Alexander Nikishin and with Robert Thomas

Nikishin currently resides on the third defense pairing for the Hurricanes. They already have Jaccob Slavin and K’Andre Miller on the left side, which makes the Russian defender expendable in the interim. It might not be smart for the team’s future, but for a team desperate to get over the Eastern Conference Final hump, they’ll do whatever it takes.

Thomas would slot into a top-six center spot alongside Sebastian Aho. Logan Stankoven is currently the team’s second-line center, which is a fine option, but nothing like what Thomas would bring. Being able to demote Stankoven to the bottom-six would give them the depth they’ve been missing in past postseason runs.

While trading Nikishin might seem near-sighted, it’d put the Hurricanes in win-now mode, which is exactly where Rod Brind’Amour wants to be.

Next: Blues: 3 Potential Trade Destinations for Robert Thomas