Mammoth Have Shown Interest In Robert Thomas
The Mammoth are among the teams that have shown interest in Robert Thomas, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said on the network’s “Saturday Headlines” segment. No matter what they put forth, they’d remain one of the longer shots to land the two-time 80-point scorer if he’s moved at all. Intra-division trades involving players of his caliber are exceedingly rare.
Utah is looking into long-term moves, not the rental market, in order to help secure the franchise’s first trip to the postseason since being born from the ashes of the Coyotes, general manager Bill Armstrong told NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger this week. Thomas would be among the most impactful moves they can make. They’ve already been linked to puck-moving rearguard Dougie Hamilton in their pursuit of added offense, but adding a player of Thomas’ age and cost control is a much higher-caliber addition.
Thomas has 11 goals and 33 points in 42 games this season for St. Louis. The 26-year-old’s underlying offensive numbers have tanked, averaging 1.43 shots on goal and 2.88 shot attempts per game compared to 2.07 and 4.40 last season, respectively. That should be easily attributable to Thomas fighting through a number of injuries this season while being symptomatic of a larger offensive regression in St. Louis, where the Blues are near the bottom of the league in virtually every category.
The fact stands that over the past five years, Thomas has established himself as one of the league’s top playmaking centers. He’s averaged 60 assists and 83 points per 82 games over that span, with his 1.01 points per game ranking 23rd in the league since 2021-22 (min. 300 games played). Among players on the Mammoth’s roster, only Clayton Keller stands above him, and only narrowly.
Thomas also has five years left on his contract at a stomachable $8.125MM cap hit. He has a full no-trade clause and controls his destiny. The Blues have made it clear they’re not overly willing to dump him as part of their retooling, but will listen to offers. They’re reportedly looking for a template similar to what the Canucks acquired for franchise defender Quinn Hughes earlier this season – a package roughly equivalent to four first-round picks.
While the Blues surely won’t be excited about the prospect of moving Thomas in the division, few teams are as well-equipped to put forth a compelling offer as the Mammoth. They still have all of their firsts in the next few drafts and have a rich staple of first-round drafted prospects over the past few years to part with. 2023 selections Danil But and Dmitriy Simashev have made their debuts this season, while they’d have to consider making 2024 #6 pick Tij Iginla and 2025 #4 pick Caleb Desnoyers available as well.
Parayko Out With Back Spasms
- Blues defenseman Colton Parayko will be scratched from today’s game against New Jersey due to back spasms, according to Matthew DeFranks of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (Twitter link). Parayko was a regular for Canada at the Olympics and was a full participant on Thursday, logging over 21 minutes. Through 58 games this season, the 32-year-old has a goal and 13 assists along with 141 blocked shots.
Update On St. Louis Blues’ Justin Faulk
Leading up to the trade deadline, there don’t appear to be many untouchables on the St. Louis Blues’ roster, if there are any. One player that has generated interest is defenseman Justin Faulk, whose price has been set.
Speaking on NHL Tonight, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported that the Blues are looking for a return similar to the one that the Calgary Flames received for defenseman Rasmus Andersson. In that deal, the Flames acquired Zach Whitecloud, a 2027 first-round pick, a conditional 2027 second-round pick, and college prospect Abram Wiebe from the Vegas Golden Knights.
It’s unquestionably a lofty price, but it’s important to remember that Faulk remains a capable top-four option and is signed through next season at an affordable $6.5MM. Furthermore, he has the capacity to quarterback a competitive team’s second power-play unit.
Even as he enters the latter stages of his career, Faulk has remained reliable. Over the last three years, he has scored 17 goals and 94 points in 196 games, averaging 22:18 of ice time. 28 of those points came with a man advantage. He’s never managed high possession metrics with St. Louis, but has averaged a respectable 90.9% on-ice SV% at even strength.
Several teams might be interested in Faulk, particularly to enhance their power play. Surprisingly, the Colorado Avalanche have the league’s worst power-play percentage, and recently traded puck-moving blue liner Samuel Girard to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Still, with four capable right-handed defenseman on the roster, it’s far likelier the Avalanche will seek a left-handed defenseman if anything.
Meanwhile, the Utah Mammoth are known to be looking for an offensive-minded right-handed defenseman. In fact, they were linked to Dougie Hamilton of the New Jersey Devils earlier today. If the Devils opt to hang on to Hamilton for their own playoff desires, the Mammoth could consider pivoting to Faulk.
Lastly, the New York Islanders could be a team to watch on the trade market. Led by the breakout of rookie phenom Matthew Schaefer, the Islanders are eying the postseason this year, and General Manager Mathieu Darche is looking to reward his group. Considering that Faulk isn’t necessarily a long-term commitment, he would provide an obvious upgrade over Tony DeAngelo in New York’s second-pairing.
Blues Reassign Mathieu Joseph
Feb. 27: Joseph cleared waivers and has been assigned to AHL Springfield, the team announced.
Feb. 26: The Blues announced today that they’ve designated winger Mathieu Joseph as a non-roster player, signaling he’ll land on waivers this afternoon. The placement comes after St. Louis tried unsuccessfully to find a trade partner for the forward, per David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period. His roster spot will go to winger Dylan Holloway, who’s coming off injured reserve for tonight’s game against the Kraken as expected.
Joseph, 29, is in the final season of the four-year, $11.8MM deal he signed with the Senators as a restricted free agent in 2022. At the time, it was an incredibly reasonable and relatively low-cost bet on a player who had 12 points in 11 games for the Sens after being acquired from the Lightning in the Nick Paul trade the prior season and had 30 points in 69 games across both teams.
The 6’1″ lefty has churned out just a shell of that production in the years since, though. The high-energy winger had just three goals in the first year of the deal. He enjoyed a brief resurgence with Ottawa in year two, recording a career-high 24 assists and 35 points in 72 games, but that was more a result of him being elevated into the Sens’ top-six out of necessity amid a rash of injuries than anything else.
Ottawa sent Joseph to St. Louis in a cap dump the following summer. In the nearly two full seasons since, he’s only notched six goals and 15 points in 99 games in a Blues uniform, largely in a third or fourth-line role. This season, he has two goals and 11 points in 39 outings and has been a frequent healthy scratch, although he also missed some time in January with an elbow infection.
If there’s any trade interest in Joseph, it’s been quieted by his $2.95MM cap hit. This close to the trade deadline, buyers aren’t going to be willing to commit that much cap space to a reclamation project. St. Louis will almost certainly be moving the pending UFA with retained salary – if at all – as he’s unlikely to get picked off the wire. However, having him clear waivers before a deal would allow the acquiring team to stash him in the minors without risking losing him on the wire again, lowering his cap impact, at least to start.
Any interest in Joseph will be to add some speed and physicality to a team’s fourth line. His offensive utility in a top-nine group is greatly diminished due to Joseph being among the worst finishers in the league, at least among forwards, over the life of his contract. He’s shot at just 6.9% since 2022 and hasn’t hit 10% in a single season since then.
As for Holloway, the Blues hope his second IR reinstatement in as many months is more permanent. He sustained an ankle injury in mid-December that kept him out of the lineup for a month. His return lasted just one game, with the lingering pain still being too much to play through.
With now another month-plus of recovery behind him, thanks to the Olympic break, he should be much closer to – if not at – 100%. He’ll be looking to finish strong after a disappointing first half of the campaign that saw the 24-year-old be limited to eight goals and 17 points in 34 games, certainly limiting his earning potential in a contract year after last season’s breakout.
Islanders, Blues Swap Matt Luff, Julien Gauthier
The Islanders announced Tuesday that they’ve acquired forward Matt Luff from the Blues in exchange for Julien Gauthier. Both players were on AHL assignments at the time of the deal and will report to their new affiliates without needing to re-clear waivers.
Luff, 28, has held a very limited role as a call-up in St. Louis this season. He’s only appeared in five games, during which he’s scored once with a -2 rating. Head coach Jim Montgomery used Luff in the fourth-line slot he’s held for most of his career whenever he’s gotten a chance at the top level, averaging a career-low 9:08 of ice time per game. His lone call-up that led to playing time, back in December, marked his first NHL action since the 2022-23 campaign with the Red Wings.
In the interim, the 6’3″ Luff has been an exceptional minor-league producer. He’s appeared in 321 AHL games over the last 10 seasons, split between the Kings, Predators, Red Wings, Panthers, and Blues organizations, recording 0.78 points per game. The both-sides winger has clicked closer to a point per game over the last few seasons, though, and has 14 goals and 39 points in 42 games for the Springfield Thunderbirds this season. While the Isles do pick up Luff’s 111 games of NHL experience, he immediately becomes Bridgeport’s leading point-getter and will essentially operate as an AHL rental and call-up insurance before becoming an unrestricted free agent this summer.
Gauthier can be a similarly impactful AHL producer when healthy, but that’s been a rarity since he first signed with the Islanders in 2023. The former first-round pick last appeared in the NHL in October 2024 and has only made 25 AHL appearances since then, recording an 8-7–15 scoring line in that timeframe. The Isles were reportedly looking to find a fresh start for him, according to Stefen Rosner of NHL.com, even though he was set to become a UFA this summer anyway.
The 28-year-old Gauthier will now make the Blues his fifth NHL organization. Selected 21st overall by the Hurricanes in 2016, the 6’4″ power forward was involved in a change-of-scenery swap with the Rangers four years later before being leveraged as bait to land Tyler Motte from the Senators at the 2023 trade deadline. He then landed with the Isles as a non-tendered RFA, and he ends his time there with nine points in 28 NHL games as well as 25 points in 40 games for Bridgeport, giving him just 68 total appearances over the last three years.
Latest On Robert Thomas, Oskar Sundqvist
- St. Louis Blues center Robert Thomas is one of the key names as the league rapidly approaches the trade deadline, with The Athletic’s Chris Johnston listing him No. 5 on his trade board. Complicating what would already be a complex trade to pull off is the recent injury suffered by Thomas. Jeremy Rutherford, Johnston’s colleague at The Athletic, relayed word from Blues head coach Jim Montgomery who said that Thomas underwent a “minor leg procedure” and currently has an unclear return timeline. Rutherford noted that Thomas did skate on Friday, but it remains unknown when Thomas will be fit to return in full. The 26-year-old center scored 21 goals and 81 points in 70 games last season and has 11 goals and 33 points in 42 games this year.
- Veteran Blues winger Oskar Sundqvist had a minor procedure during the Olympic break, reports Rutherford. He skated alongside Thomas on Friday, but like his teammate, is currently dealing with an uncertain return timeline. The 31-year-old veteran has 14 points in 43 games this season and when healthy is a regular bottom-six contributor for the Blues, including on both sides of special teams.
Holloway To Return After Olympic Break
- Blues winger Dylan Holloway is expected to return to the lineup next Thursday, relays Lou Korac of The Hockey News. The 24-year-old returned to game action a little more than a month ago from a high ankle sprain that cost him 15 games. However, the return was rushed and he ultimately sat the next eight leading into the break. After a breakout performance last season that saw him pick up a career-high 26 goals and 63 points, Holloway has been limited to eight goals and nine assists in 34 games this year. Heading for restricted free agency with arbitration eligibility this summer, he’ll be looking for a strong performance down the stretch, even with St. Louis well out of the playoff picture.
Blues Recall Georgi Romanov
The Blues announced they’ve recalled goaltender Georgi Romanov from AHL Springfield. With teams allowed to resume practice activities this afternoon, he will serve as a second goaltender behind Joel Hofer until Jordan Binnington returns from his stint representing Team Canada at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Romanov has 10 NHL games to his name, all with the Sharks between 2023-25. The 26-year-old made a pair of relief appearances two years ago and another pair last season in addition to his first six big-league starts, in which he compiled a 0-6-0 record. In under 500 minutes of total ice time in San Jose, the Russian netminder had a .888 SV%, 3.53 GAA, and -3.5 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck.
San Jose inked Romanov to a two-year entry-level contract as a free agent from the KHL’s Avtomobilist Yekaterinburg in 2023, but opted not to issue him a qualifying offer when the deal ran out last summer. He ended up going unsigned until training camp, landing a PTO with the Devils. The tryout agreement turned into a contract, just not in New Jersey. St. Louis signed him to a two-way deal on Oct. 8, and he cleared waivers the following day.
The pending Group VI unrestricted free agent was brought in to replace Colten Ellis as the organization’s third-stringer after Ellis was claimed off waivers by the Sabres in training camp. He’s essentially split Springfield’s crease with countryman Vadim Zherenko. Neither have particularly excelled, with Romanov posting a .893 SV%, 3.37 GAA, 7-11-4 record, and one shutout in 24 games. He’ll be on his way back to the minors as soon as Binnington rejoins the club.
Poll: Which Team Should Make The Biggest Push For Shane Wright?
A weak Western Conference has the hot-and-cold Kraken still squarely in contention for a playoff spot. Seattle had won six of eight entering the break, moving them into third in the Pacific Division and tied with the Ducks for the second wild-card slot (although the Kraken have three more regulation wins).
Despite teetering on the edge of a berth all season, general manager Jason Botterill’s overall deadline strategy appears to be as aggressive as possible. 2022 fourth overall pick Shane Wright is one name that could very well be on the move after reports last month indicated they were open to dangling him as the big fish to land a major upgrade for their top-six forward group.
While it would normally be surprising to see a team so uncertain of its short-term outlook being willing to dangle such a high-value young asset, Seattle has assembled a deep prospect pool over the last few years that can easily handle the loss of Wright. Even just considering centers, they’ve supplemented him with two more top-10 picks in Berkly Catton in 2024 and Jake O’Brien last year.
The desire to give Wright a fresh start elsewhere appears to come from both player and team. That makes sense considering Wright has had his ice time reduced from last season under first-year head coach Lane Lambert, despite coming off a strong 19-goal, 44-point effort in 79 games in his first extended look in NHL minutes in 2024-25.
As a result, this year his production has dipped to 11 goals and 22 points in 56 games. That’s a points-per-game decrease from 0.56 to 0.39, accompanied by a 10-second drop in ice time per game.
The Ontario native has also struggled in the two most important secondary areas for a center – faceoffs and possession control. He’s winning just 37.9% of his draws this year after hitting 44.4% last season while controlling 46.3% of shot attempts at even strength. The latter number is particularly disappointing considering he’s been given sheltered usage, starting over two-thirds of his shifts in the offensive zone.
Nonetheless, there are a few teams looking to move out a top-six piece that wouldn’t benefit from a 22-year-old center with the pedigree of being a top-five pick. Which sellers should be the most aggressive in trying to ensure they strike a deal with Kraken and recoup Wright?
Calgary Flames
Even among sellers, you’d be hard-pressed to find a team with two tangible top-six forwards – with term – to use as trade chips. If Seattle wants to make a push for either Blake Coleman or Nazem Kadri, the Flames are asking for Wright as the starting piece of the return, especially for the latter.
They’ve done well to build out their prospect pool on defense (particularly the right side) and on the wings, but they’re missing a clear-cut top-six piece down the middle long-term, especially with Samuel Honzek appearing to shift to the wing full-time and Cole Reschny‘s slighter frame likely making him a better fit at left wing than center at the NHL level. They’re not currently icing a center under the age of 25 in the NHL, either, at least not with John Beecher injured.
Adding Wright gives them more hope down the middle long-term with greater offensive upside than a name like Honzek has been able to show in the pros thus far.
New York Rangers
Seattle made a big contract offer to Artemi Panarin but struck out with the winger deciding it was L.A. or bust. With the two clubs already having engaged in trade talks on the star winger, the Kraken might opt to put themselves in the conversation for Rangers middleman Vincent Trocheck as well.
For a team still in the earlier stages of a retool like the Rangers, they wouldn’t be too concerned with position when getting as high-value an asset as Wright back in a deal. Nonetheless, recouping a young, higher-ceiling center by March 6 would be a dream scenario for Blueshirts GM Chris Drury.
The Rangers’ arsenal of U23 potential top-six contributors at forward – Gabriel Perreault, Liam Greentree, and Malcolm Spence – are all wingers. Their best center prospect, 22-year-old Noah Laba, has operated as their third-line center for most of the year and, while he’s clearly made the jump to full-time NHLer status, has never been touted as anything more than a long-term 3C option.
With such a pressing positional need down the middle, especially if they’re intent on flipping Trocheck with several years left on his deal, Wright is a perfect addition.
St. Louis Blues
The Blues aren’t actively shopping Robert Thomas, but they are listening to offers. It will still take a gargantuan price tag – reported to be four first-round picks or equivalent assets – to land a deal, but the Kraken are well-positioned to do so with Wright ready to fill one of those four slots and four first-round picks available in the next two drafts.
Unlike for Calgary and New York, though, adding Wright down the middle would more signal a completion of the long-term puzzle down the middle than a much-needed jumpstart. Dalibor Dvorsky, still just 20 years old, has arrived this season as he looks to be a high-end second-line piece for St. Louis throughout his prime. Another recent first-rounder, Otto Stenberg, hasn’t looked out of place in NHL action this year, either.
Wright’s sluggish development so far wouldn’t solve the need for finding a bona fide first-line piece to serve as a direct replacement for Thomas, but he would give the Blues ample top-nine depth for their next playoff contention window.
Vancouver Canucks
The Canucks are headed straight toward the best odds at the first overall pick in this year’s draft, in large part due to a lack of production from the middle of the ice. Their middle-six pivots for much of the year, David Kämpf and Aatu Räty, have combined for all of five goals.
They already picked up Marco Rossi from the Wild in the Quinn Hughes deal, but he’s battled through a broken foot this season and only had a goal and an assist in eight appearances for Vancouver before the break. There’s also the matter of star first-liner Elias Pettersson, who’s still struggled to get anywhere close to the heights of his 102-point breakout three years ago. He’s scoring at a 57-point pace this season, the worst of his career.
If Seattle wants to buy low on the high-priced pivot, Wright won’t have more opportunity at premier minutes anywhere else than in Vancouver.
If the Kraken do leverage Wright into a top-six upgrade, which team would stand to reap the most rewards? Have your say in the poll below:
Which Team Would Benefit Most From Landing Shane Wright?
Trade Deadline Primer: St. Louis Blues
With the Olympic break approaching, the trade deadline is about a month away. Where does each team stand, and what moves should they be looking to make? We begin our look around the league with teams that have clear plans at the extremes of the standings, this time with Blues.
The Trade Deadline will mark a fork in the road for the St. Louis Blues. The 2025-26 season has not gone according to plan, with the Blues sat last in the NHL Central Division and battling for last in both goals scored and goals allowed. Even with the bright spots of a solid blue-line and well-performing youngsters, the Blues have struggled to manage anything inspiring, sticking the team with the question of whether to replace or rebuild. The question will carry more weight than usual, as the answer will not only define the next few seasons, but also the first years of Alexander Steen‘s reign as the Blues’ general manager set to begin next season. With that change in sights, St. Louis will begin to blaze their trail this March.
Record
20-28-9 (8th in NHL Central Division)
Deadline Status
Sellers
Deadline Cap Space
$20.52MM on deadline day, 0/3 retention slots used, 48/50 contracts used per PuckPedia.
Upcoming Draft Picks
2026: STL 1st, STL 3rd, STL 4th, DAL 4th, STL 5th, PIT 5th, STL 6th, STL 7th
2027: STL 1st, STL 3rd, STL 4th, ANA 4th, STL 5th, STL 6th, STL 7th
Trade Chips
With a potential seller’s market ahead, many of the trade rumors swirling around the Blues have focused on their top-line veterans. Franchise center Robert Thomas has become a popular name, as teams wonder if the 26 year old’s prime will be wasted on a Blues team years away from Stanley Cup contention. Thomas is a top-end playmaker who posted 60 assists in each of the last two seasons. He continues to lead the Blues in points-per-game this season, with 33 points in 42 games.
But moving Thomas would represent a monumental shift for the Blues franchise – and leave them with a future search for a replacement first-line center. The team would be less scathed by moving scoring-winger Jordan Kyrou, who ranks second on the team in points-per-game with 32 points in 47 games. Kyrou offers an explosive bit of tempo and play-driving that could entice needs in need of a boost on offense, while not dragging down the Blues’ future structure. The same can be said for Pavel Buchnevich – third in points-per-game – who has been on-and-off the trade block through the last few seasons.
The Blues’ price on all three of their high-scorers is said to be sky-high – seen as the price to pay for breaking up the lineup, in addition to buying star talent. Costs might be a bit cheaper on the Blues’ veterans who have dwindled in impact. Defenseman Justin Faulk has continued to stand up to a nightly, number-one role with 11 goals and 30 points in 57 games. But at the age of 33, Faulk is a hard name to bet on through the next few seasons. The same goes for former Stanley Cup legend Jordan Binnington, who has posted a dismal .864 save percentage in 32 games this season. A change of scenery could bring the best out of either player, while only costing a few future assets.
Trade Needs
Young Potential: No matter if their goal is to compete in one year or five years, the Blues’ sights will be firmly on the future. Their new era is beginning to come into focus, built on the backs of budding potential like Philip Broberg, Dylan Holloway, Jimmy Snuggerud, Dalibor Dvorsky, Otto Stenberg, and Joel Hofer. But, even with a likely top-five pick in the 2026 NHL Draft, St. Louis seems to lack a game-breaker to lead them into their new era. Finding that talent on the trade market could be enough to swing Thomas or Kyrou away from the only NHL club they’ve ever played for. For St. Louis, trade talks should begin with the other team’s top prospects and draft capital. Landing a hopeful star like centers Michael Hage and Shane Wright, or goalie Jesper Wallstedt, would give the Blues lineup pieces to build around over the next few seasons. It would also take the weight off of the shoulders of Dvorsky, or a future draft pick, to try and carry the team through quiet years ahead. It seems clear that, no matter how the chips fall at the Deadline, the Blues’ priority will be building up for what’s to come.
A Massive Return: St. Louis is approaching the Spring with more on the trade block than they’ve had in many years. Their focus will be on building up the first few years of Steen’s reign, though more than that, the team feels on the precipous of a blockbuster deal. How high will the bidding war ride for a player like Thomas or Kyrou, two stars in their prime who would undoubtedly bring tough-to-find value to any new destination. Could the Blues land multiple star prospects to join an already-loaded pool? Or could they stock their cupboard of draft picks full. More than that, how will the heat of trades impact a St. Louis club that also has Brayden Schenn, Cam Fowler, Colton Parayko, and Pius Suter eyeing the tail-end of their careers? Even with an existing foundation for the future, now could be the Blues best chance to go full scorched-earth and tear down their existing structure – in the name of giving Steen plenty of firepower to build the team he wants to see through the rest of the 2020s.
Photo courtesy of John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images.