The Boston Bruins and St. Louis Blues have built up a sneaky little rivalry over the past few years.
It started with the 2019 Stanley Cup Final - a series that still stings in Boston and still resonates in St. Louis - and it’s carried through to today, with some interesting front-office dynamics bubbling beneath the surface.
At the heart of it all are two key decision-makers: Bruins GM Don Sweeney and Blues GM Doug Armstrong. They’ve had to balance their NHL responsibilities with their shared roles in the Team Canada front office.
That dual relationship adds a layer of intrigue, especially now that Boston is reportedly active in the trade market and St. Louis is open for business.
Let’s start with what we know. The Bruins have been poking around the buyer’s market - their interest in Rasmus Andersson made that clear.
Meanwhile, the Blues are reportedly listening on some big names, including Robert Thomas and Jordan Kyrou. If Armstrong is serious about moving Thomas, Boston feels like a natural fit.
Now, there’s been chatter - and yes, it’s vague - that recent conversations between Armstrong and Sweeney, while officially centered around Team Canada, may have extended beyond Olympic matters. That doesn’t confirm anything, but it opens the door to real trade discussions between two GMs who know each other well and have kept their professional and national team duties separate.
So, what would a Bruins-Blues deal look like? And why does Robert Thomas make so much sense for Boston?
Why Thomas Fits in Boston
The Bruins haven’t truly filled the void left by Patrice Bergeron and David Krejci. That’s not a knock on Pavel Zacha or Charlie Coyle - both have stepped up admirably - but Boston is still searching for a long-term answer at the top of the lineup. Thomas, even in a down season, offers the kind of two-way play and offensive upside that would fit beautifully in the Bruins' system.
At his best, Thomas is a point-per-game player with strong vision, quick hands, and solid defensive instincts. He’s the kind of center who can drive a line and tilt the ice in both directions. And at just 26 years old, he fits better with the Bruins’ core timeline than a prospect who might not be NHL-ready for another two or three seasons.
The Cost of Doing Business
Of course, a player like Thomas doesn’t come cheap. He’s signed to a team-friendly deal for the next five years, which only raises his value.
If Boston wants in, they’ll need to part with real assets - and that likely starts with young players St. Louis head coach Jim Montgomery is already familiar with.
Montgomery, who coached in Boston before taking over the Blues, was a big fan of defenseman Mason Lohrei and center Matthew Poitras. Those were reportedly the names floated in Boston’s talks for Andersson, and it stands to reason they’d be part of any serious pitch for Thomas.
Add in a couple of draft picks - possibly including Boston’s first-rounder this year - and you start to get a sense of what it would take to make a deal. That first-round pick might not be as valuable if Thomas is helping the Bruins make a deeper playoff push, and it’s fair to ask whether any player available in the middle of the first round would have as much immediate impact as Thomas.
It’s a gamble, sure. But it’s the kind of calculated risk that can elevate a contender.
If Not Thomas, Then Kyrou?
If the price for Thomas proves too steep, Boston could pivot to Jordan Kyrou. He wouldn’t fill the center-ice need, but he’d give the Bruins another weapon on the wing - someone who could slot in behind David Pastrnak and add some scoring punch to the middle six.
Kyrou’s price tag would be lower than Thomas’s, and while he’s not the complete player that Thomas is, he’s still a dynamic skater with offensive upside. He’d bring speed and creativity to a Bruins lineup that could use a bit more of both.
Looking Ahead
The Bruins aren’t desperate - not like they were when Bergeron and Krejci first stepped away. James Hagens, Dean Letourneau, Fraser Minten, and Dans Locmelis all represent promising options down the road.
But none of them are ready to step into a top-line NHL role just yet. Thomas would give Boston a clear answer at center now, and for the foreseeable future.
Sweeney doesn’t need to force a move, but if the opportunity is there - and if the price is right - this could be the kind of deal that shapes the Bruins’ next chapter. The pieces are in place for something to happen. Now it’s just a matter of whether the two GMs, with all their shared history, decide to pull the trigger.