Robert Thomas doesn’t just have a bigger title now. He also has a bigger target on his back.
The Blues named Thomas the 25th captain in franchise history on Wednesday, a clear sign that the organization wants him front and center as it moves into a new era under general manager Alex Steen. That comes after a season in which Thomas was discussed as a trade possibility, only for both sides to land on the same answer: keep the relationship going in St. Louis.
The move also follows Brayden Schenn being traded earlier this year to the New York Islanders, opening the door for Thomas to take over as the team’s new leader. For the Blues, the message is obvious. They’re building around him.
That responsibility should only sharpen Thomas’ edge, especially after The Athletic’s recent player rankings brought fresh criticism his way. In the outlet’s season preview, Thomas landed in the third tier, which was described as a top 60 player in the NHL or a strong top-line forward on a team. One scout didn’t hold back when talking about what still bothers him about Thomas.
“I think he can be the best player on any given night in any given game, but I’m not sure he has the drive that some of the other guys in this range have,” the scout told The Athletic. “There’s just more nights off there.”
The Athletic also pointed to Thomas’ uneven season start, when he had 33 points through 42 games. But the finish told a different story.
After the Blues came back from the Olympic break, he caught fire and posted 31 points in 22 games to close the year. That’s the version of Thomas the Blues need more often, not just in bursts.
And they need it because the roster around him has changed fast.
St. Louis has retooled rather than torn everything down, trying to stay in the playoff mix instead of starting from scratch.
The team finished just outside a postseason spot last season, then made major moves by parting with Jordan Kyrou, Jonathan Drouin, and Schenn while bringing in Connor McMichael, Mason McTavish, and Brandon Carlo. The front office is also banking on younger pieces such as Jimmy Snuggerud to make an impact.
Still, Thomas is the center of it all. The Blues are counting on him to drive the team on the ice and set the tone off it, and that means getting back to the 80-plus point level he reached in the two seasons before last year.
That’s the standard that comes with the “C.” And in a division that includes the Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, Dallas Stars, and Utah Mammoth, the Blues will need Thomas to carry that load from start to finish if they want a shot at the top three or one of the two Wild Card spots.
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The only catch is that his path has not been seamless since heading to Boston University, where the transition to college hockey came with growing pains. Lawrences next step now matters as much as his draft pedigree, because the Blues will be watching how he handles the coming college season and his international duty to get a clearer read on when he might be ready for the NHL picture. [Read more 🡒]
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The next step is proving that production can travel with him over a full year, not just in stretches when everything is clicking. If Holloway stays healthy and keeps driving play next to Thomas and Snuggerud, he has the kind of runway to move well beyond where he finished last season and make that bigger role look justified. [Read more 🡒]