St. Louis Blues

Utah Positioned to Strike on Robert Thomas, But Time is Ticking

As the trade deadline approaches, Robert Thomas remains a key player in NHL trade discussions. Will he be moved?

by
NHL Trade Talk
March 5, 2026

The St. Louis Blues’ star center, Robert Thomas, remains firmly in the spotlight on Thursday as the 2026 NHL trade deadline looms tomorrow (Friday at 3 p.m. ET), and there was a lot of talk on Wednesday that he might be traded. With trade discussions heating up between the Buffalo Sabres and Blues, the deal didn’t happen as many expected. Does that mean it doesn’t? Or, will another team swoop in and make an offer that gets the Blues to bite and Thomas to waive his full no-trade clause?

TSN and The Athletic insider Pierre LeBrun highlighted the situation in recent comments on social media, noting that while the Utah Mammoth — who acquired MacKenzie Weegar in a trade with Calgary — did so without sacrificing their very top assets. They still hold their first-round picks this year and next, plus a strong top-five prospect pool. Utah is well-positioned to pursue another high-end forward like Thomas.

At 26, he is arguably the prime No. 1 center available on the trade market. Known as a talented playmaker, he is also locked up long-term on a reasonable $8.125 million AAV through 2030-31, and a former Stanley Cup winner with the Blues in 2019. St. Louis is seeking an “astronomical” return, with reports of three or four premium assets (picks, prospects, and roster players) being demanded, making deals complex.

Is Today the Day a Thomas Trade Happens?

LeBrun emphasized that today feels critical. Not expected to drag into Friday, teams that are seriously looking at Thomas need to know if they stand a chance or have to walk away and refocus. And because the move requires his explicit approval under the no-trade clause, that decision can take time to process. LeBrun writes, “As we’ve seen with other players with those clauses this past week, a player needs time sometimes to digest the decision at hand. That’s not to say it couldn’t go to tomorrow, but I would imagine leaving some wiggle room time-wise for that decision would be part of things here.”

Other suitors like the Buffalo Sabres (front-runners in some reports, though talks cooled over price) and possibly Montreal (deemed too steep) have circled, but Utah’s fit—bolstering their lineup for a playoff push—makes sense. If the Mammoth add Weegar and Thomas, they’ll be seen as one of the big movers of the trade deadline.

Next: Nothing Exciting For Maple Leafs Close to Trade Deadline