The St. Louis Blues and Robert Thomas have cleared the air, and for now, the offseason drama that had been building around him looks to be off the board.
After multiple conversations between Thomas and incoming GM Alexander Steen, the two sides are back on the same page. Jeremy Rutherford of The Athletic reported this week that Thomas is staying with the Blues.
“I feel that a large part of the leadership here is dedicated to building something special, whether that’s now or in a few years. This has answered quite a few of the questions, ‘Do you see me in this plan?’
and ‘How long might this project take?’ We sat down to discuss several details that are important to us.
Many of them are shared. We agreed to move forward together.”
Thomas is set to begin the fourth year of his eight-year, $65 million contract in 2026-2027. The concern for him was simple: where the Blues stood, and whether they planned to be competitive enough for the second half of that deal to make sense in St. Louis.
Elsewhere in Canada, the Montreal Canadiens are still getting calls on Arber Xhekaj, but they are not rushing to move him. Teams have checked in, yet Montreal appears reluctant to part with the physical defenseman unless they are convinced to do so.
Xhekaj wants to stay, and his camp has made that clear. Agent Brian Bartlett said, “He loves playing in Montreal, he loves the fans, he loves the city…Our hope collectively…is that we can find a way to make it work in Montreal.”
The situation still has layers to it. Xhekaj is a restricted free agent, and Montreal’s defensive depth gives the club some flexibility. At the same time, both Xhekaj and Jayden Struble are looking for bigger roles, which is why other teams will keep watching closely.
The Ottawa Senators also have their own contract business to sort out. Drake Batherson is in the middle of negotiations, and the next deal is being measured against names like Adrian Kempe and Alex Tuch. Ottawa is also working toward an extension for Artem Zub.
And then there’s the bigger money conversation hanging over the league.
Massive contracts are changing the way the NHL does business, with Leo Carlsson, Macklin Celebrini, and Connor Bedard all helping reset expectations. The next number that could really turn heads may belong to Matthew Schaefer of the New York Islanders, with some projecting a deal that could reach a $20 million AAV.
The question is whether Schaefer gets there first, or whether that territory is claimed by a star like Cale Makar or Quinn Hughes.
Maybe it ends up being Connor McDavid. As Adam Proteau of The Hockey News wrote, “To his credit, McDavid has never prioritized being the planet’s highest-paid player.
But at some point, he needs to be paid closer to market value. That means he should push into the $20 million range when he becomes a UFA in 2028, because even that could be a good deal for him and his team in the not-so-distant future.”
In Other News...
Canadiens Suddenly Have A Chance At The Center They Need
A center hunt that has hovered over Montreal for a while picked up some unexpected intrigue when Jeff Marek raised the Canadiens as a possible destination for Dylan Larkin. It is the kind of name that instantly changes the conversation around a roster that has been searching for help down the middle, especially when a player of that caliber is even loosely attached to the market.
For now, though, the path is far from straightforward. The Florida Panthers, Dallas Stars, Vegas Golden Knights and Carolina Hurricanes are said to be among the teams showing the most interest, while Detroit is still holding out for a return that matches a first-line center. Larkin remains in Detroit, and until that balance shifts, Montreal's opening is more possibility than certainty. [Read more 🡒]
Canadiens Have An Obvious Veteran Option For Secondary Scoring
The Canadiens are still looking for ways to reinforce their scoring depth, and Reilly Smith has emerged as a veteran name worth keeping in the conversation. The unsigned free agent forward brings a long NHL track record, including past seasons as a reliable offensive contributor and a Stanley Cup on his rsum, which makes him the kind of low-risk addition teams often explore when they want help beyond their top-six forwards.
Smith is being viewed as a possible professional tryout option, which would give Montreal a closer look before any commitment is made. There has been no official agreement or even a reported offer, but the fit is easy to see for a club that could use experienced secondary scoring without rushing into a larger move. [Read more 🡒]
Brady Tkachuk Refused One Team Before Blockbuster Trade Reveal
Brady Tkachuks name surfaced in one of those summer trade discussions that can shape an entire market, and the latest report adds another layer to how complicated those talks can get. According to The Athletics Jeremy Rutherford, Tkachuk was not interested in going to the St. Louis Blues before the deal that eventually sent him to the Florida Panthers, a reminder that even high-level negotiations in the NHL are rarely just about teams lining up on value.
The report also notes that Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson came up in offseason trade chatter, underscoring how wide-ranging the conversations were behind the scenes. For teams watching the trade board, the key takeaway is familiar but often overlooked: player preference and no-trade considerations can steer a deal just as much as the price being discussed, and sometimes the most interesting part of a blockbuster is the destination that never made sense in the first place. [Read more 🡒]