The St. Louis Blues finally have some clarity on the status of their top offensive weapon - and it couldn’t come at a better time.
The team announced that Robert Thomas, who’s been sidelined since January 10 with a lower-body injury, recently underwent a minor procedure on his leg. The expectation is that he’ll be ready to return after the NHL’s Olympic break, with a potential comeback game circled for February 26, when the Blues host the Seattle Kraken.
For a team that’s been starving for offense, getting Thomas back in the lineup is more than just a boost - it’s essential. Despite missing 13 of St.
Louis' 55 games, Thomas still leads the team in scoring with 33 points (11 goals, 22 assists). That stat says as much about his individual impact as it does about the Blues’ season-long offensive struggles.
They’re averaging just 2.48 goals per game, which ranks 31st in the league - only the Calgary Flames have been less productive.
Thomas has been one of the few bright spots in an otherwise dim season for the Blues, who currently sit at the bottom of the Central Division. His absence has only highlighted how much he means to this roster, both in terms of playmaking and leadership. At 26, the former first-round pick (20th overall in 2017) is already a veteran presence, but still very much in his prime.
Since breaking into the league as a teenager and playing a role in the Blues’ 2019 Stanley Cup run, Thomas has steadily developed into one of the league’s most reliable two-way centers. His breakout came in 2021-22, when he put up 77 points in 72 games. He followed that up with a career-best 86-point campaign last season, showing off elite vision and chemistry with the team’s top wingers.
Naturally, his name has come up in trade chatter - that’s what happens when a young, productive center is on a team struggling to stay afloat. But with Thomas locked in as a foundational piece and still delivering high-end production, it’s hard to imagine the Blues seriously entertaining offers unless they’re looking at a full-scale rebuild.
In the meantime, the Blues have two more games before the Olympic break - a road swing through Nashville and Dallas. They’ll be hoping to gather some momentum before the league pauses and, more importantly, to get their No. 1 center back on the ice when play resumes.
For now, all eyes are on February 26. If Thomas is ready to go by then, it could mark the beginning of a much-needed second-half push - or at least provide some offensive spark to a team that’s been desperately searching for answers.