The costs are high for Robert Thomas
Anthony Di Marco of the Daily Faceoff joined TSN Radio in Montreal and was asked what the St. Louis Blues will do with Robert Thomas. Will it be moved now or in the summer?
NHLRumors.com Transcripts
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Host: “Anthony, there’s just a lot of noise coming out of St. Louis, not the year they expected. Robert Thomas is a name that appears there. Do you believe the deal will be done this year? Or is it something that might not get done? Or is it something that, because you’re moving such a big piece, could be done in the summer?”
Anthony Di Marco: “Well, I don’t think it should happen this year just because of where Doug Armstrong is in his career with the Blues and Team Canada. From what I’ve heard from more than one general manager and from more than one source, it’s going to take a huge effort to get Robert Thomas out of St. Louis. And as it should be?”
26-year-old center under contract for, I think, at least four or five more seasons at a cap hit of $8.1 million. He enjoys quite significant trade protection. And if you’re Doug Armstrong, you have some kind of greeting. Tell me, he’s trying to leave a legacy. And I think since he took over, and I believe it was in 2009, he’s the only general manager who has never done that, or rather, the Blues are the only team that hasn’t done the buyout.
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And is he trying to leave a legacy there, and if he’s going to make a big deal like that, he’s probably going to go off like a drool in the words of Jim Ross, and I just don’t know if he’s too concerned right now about what’s going on with Team Canada and the Olympics, literally around the corner.
So for me, I think this would be a deal if you have a new general manager at some point in the summer, and Alex Steen with his hands on the wheel and maybe a different philosophy, in a different direction.
NHL Rumors.com Note: GM Doug Armstrong has set the market high for Robert Thomas dating back to last season. Similar to the prices on Brayden Schenn and Jordan Kyrou. He continues to dangle the players, but he wants to trade them on his terms. The teams interested in Thomas, Kyrou and Schenn know the prices, and the Blues are currently backing away from that.
Could the Minnesota Wild make a move on Robert Thomas?
In a later segment TSN Radio in Montreal, Anthony Di Marco from the Daily Faceoff was asked about the Minnesota Wild and their plans for the trade deadline. He calls Thomas suitable.
Di Marco: “I mean, the Wild are going to be interesting, right? You hear Jesper Wallstedt’s name circling or rather coming up, leading up to the trade deadline. What are they going to do? They need a center? Obviously we know that the likes of Ryan Hartman, (Joel) Eriksson-Ek and Danila Yurov aren’t really going to make it, considering you’re 1,2,3, in the middle, if you look at the Cup aspirations, and for all intents and purposes that’s exactly what Bill Guerin does. But speaking of Robert Thomas, guys, I know it’s in the division, but since that’s not on paper, Minnesota is the best landing spot for Robert Thomas.
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