NHL Rumour Roundup: Blues’ Robert Thomas looking increasingly like trade candidate

The NHL trade deadline is mere days away, and the rumour mill is heating up. 

The line between buyers and sellers still feels a bit unclear, which sets the stage for a very interesting week. 

Here’s a roundup of the latest buzz around the NHL. 

Demand for Blues’ Thomas heating up

All eyes will be on the St. Louis Blues this week ahead of Friday’s trade deadline. But unlike the Nashville Predators (more on them below), there’s really no question about St. Louis’s status. The club is well outside the playoff picture and firmly in “seller” territory. The only question is just how extensive the sales will be. 

The uptick in chatter around the fate of Robert Thomas is at the centre of that question. 

Thomas has a no-trade clause, so he’s got final say. But considering his position — a top-six centre — and his contract (he’s on year three of his eight-year pact, worth $8.125 million annually) — there will be no shortage of suitors, with the Utah Mammoth reportedly looking at Thomas as a top target. 

“I think (the Blues) have had some pretty serious conversations with a couple of teams about him, including Utah,” Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said in Monday’s edition of 32 Thoughts: The Podcast. There are rumblings about Montreal, too, and Sportsnet’s Eric Engels made the case for why that could make sense. 

“At various times, I’ve thought that Kyrou could be dealt, I’ve definitely thought that Faulk could be dealt, but I thought the whole Thomas thing was a bit of a pipe dream. And now I’m actually beginning to think that it could be real.”

Friedman said he thinks the Blues have talked to teams about Jordan Kyrou, Justin Faulk, Colton Parayko and Jordan Binnington. 

“If they trade these guys, they’re trading them for younger players, I assume, guys who might be NHL-ready but aren’t as experienced as these guys,” he said

What’s next for Nashville?

If you’re wondering what the Predators’ plan is as we near the deadline, you’re in good company. The organization has a history of lingering in the messy middle this time of year, a few wins making the difference between wild-card hopefuls and deadline sellers. That’s where Nashville stands again now, and as Friedman explained, the players themselves don’t know what general manager Barry Trotz is going to do. 

If the Predators do sell, there are several interesting names to look at — pending UFA Erik Haula, fresh off a strong Olympic showing; right-shot defenceman Nick Perbix with team-friendly term; and depth forward Michael McCarron among them — but none more intriguing than the pair of veterans in Ryan O’Reilly and Steven Stamkos. Both forwards know what it takes to win the Stanley Cup — O’Reilly won it all in St. Louis, and Stamkos did it twice as captain of Tampa Bay. And both want to chase another with the Predators.

“I’ve talked about Ryan O’Reilly a lot and how he’s told the team that he doesn’t want to go and that he wants to be part of the Nashville team for the playoff push. And Stamkos, I was told, is in the same boat,” said Friedman. “He doesn’t want to leave, either. He wants to stay with the team and push them towards the playoffs.”

Considering Stamkos has control here, thanks to the full no-move clause on his contract, he dictates his destiny. O’Reilly doesn’t have that same language written into his contract, but Predators brass has made it known they’ll honour his preferences all the same. 

Friedman expanded further on Stamkos’s situation, including referencing an earlier report from fellow NHL insider Pierre LeBrun about potential destinations: 

“I was told that the one situation that could get him to change his mind would be if — and only if — the team decided they were going to do a complete sell-off. And then in that case, if Stamkos was approached and asked if he’d be willing to go, he would consider going to certain contenders — and I assume that Pierre is right about the likes of the Stars, the Wild and his former team, the Lightning. However, it is his first choice, his desire, to compete, stay and go to the playoffs (with the Predators).”

Trocheck bracing for trade 

Ever since the Rangers released a letter to fans declaring big roster changes to come, Vincent Trocheck has been considered one of the club’s most eligible trade chips. A strong showing at the Olympics with Team USA did nothing to deter potential suitors. 

Just as his team has been open about its intentions to move some veteran assets in the name of retooling the roster, Trocheck, too, has been open about the prospect of being dealt and where he’d like to land. 

It’s no secret at this point he’d like to stay in the Eastern Conference — and considering he’s got a modified no-trade clause that allows him to submit a 12-team no-trade list, those preferences are essentially binding. 

He’s also been open about his desire to land with a contender:

“If I’m gonna get traded to a team that’s in the same situation as us, then I don’t want to move,” Trocheck said, via Vince Z. Mercogliano of The Athletic. “That sounds miserable in a new city. I am 32 years old. I would like to win a Stanley Cup, so if I am going to get traded, I would like to go to a team that’s winning, or has a chance to win.”

Per Mercogliano, the Minnesota Wild are the current front-runners despite being a Western Conference club. Considering the midwest city sits in the Central time zone, it sounds like Minnesota gets a pass — The Athletic previously reported Minnesota is not on Trocheck’s no-fly list.

The Wild certainly fulfill the “contender” requirement, and considering their rising stock, they are an intriguing option for a gritty centreman like Trocheck who comes with a little term. Trocheck has three more years on his deal at an affordable $5.625 million AAV.