Robert Thomas

[John Cocktoastin]

I do not believe Robert Thomas is captain material.

Far better choices sitting in the wings with Neighbours and Holloway.

And Thomas is what he is at this point. Unwilling to shoot for whatever reason.

His career average of 1.55 shots per game is below the NHL average for centers. In 2023-24, Thomas set a career high with 2.07 shots per game, which was slightly above the overall average for centers. His average shots per game this season is around 1.38.

Asking him to shoot more is a dead end.

[Frank Underwood]

I do not believe Robert Thomas is captain material.

Far better choices sitting in the wings with Neighbours and Holloway.

And Thomas is what he is at this point. Unwilling to shoot for whatever reason.

His career average of 1.55 shots per game is below the NHL average for centers. In 2023-24, Thomas set a career high with 2.07 shots per game, which was slightly above the overall average for centers. His average shots per game this season is around 1.38.

Asking him to shoot more is a dead end.

Completely agree. Hate to say it but I think he’s dumb and it’s some sort of weird mental block. Extremely talented player, but the shooting thing is just an annual source of frustration.

[moose-and-squirrel]

I do not believe Robert Thomas is captain material.

Far better choices sitting in the wings with Neighbours and Holloway.

And Thomas is what he is at this point. Unwilling to shoot for whatever reason.

His career average of 1.55 shots per game is below the NHL average for centers. In 2023-24, Thomas set a career high with 2.07 shots per game, which was slightly above the overall average for centers. His average shots per game this season is around 1.38.

Asking him to shoot more is a dead end.

Completely agree. Hate to say it but I think he’s dumb and it’s some sort of weird mental block. Extremely talented player, but the shooting thing is just an annual source of frustration.

he's taking shots.. just not hitting the net enough

but this talk about trading him... laughable. he's prolly the best overall player on this team. and the talk about 'siding with kyrou over berube'.. where was the noted?
and I guess because he doesn't slam his stick over the goal or yell and scream, he doesn't care.. again.. laughable

[somni]

This is nuts. Thomas has been beat up and to another poster's point he's being called on to do ALL the heavy lifting and dirty work at center. He's not getting any help from his linemates and very little from other centers.

The Blues, all of them, have been beat down physically and all season they have been wandering in the wilderness mentally. The pressure of mistakes blowing up in their face is multiplied by the frustration of not scoring, constantly playing on the edge. A small few are handling this better than others, but they are not the real difference makers.

Thomas’ play is not the issue. He is the Franchise’s Forward at this point. He needs to lead.

His decision to side with Kyrou when Chief denanded the least semblance of unselfish and competitive play was appalling. He seems too content with collecting his paycheck and not ruffling the feathers of his friends.

We are, outside of our bottom six and Binner…. A gutless and complacent outfit.
Pride is distant memory.

This whole "side with Kyrou" thing you have going is odd. I don't recall him siding but trying to be diplomatic. You wanted him to call out Kyrou to make things worse...or to defend Chief when he's no longer there?

[HighStick]

Ive never thought Thomas was a real 1c. I think he'd be a great 2c but he just refuses to shoot enough to be a 1c. Your 1c has to be dangerous. Thomas is never a threat out there. He's good at a lot of things but he's not physical and refuses to shoot. Every other team is basically lead or carried by their 1c. The Blues are hampered by theirs. It might be time to start dreaming bigger. It's Thomas who can't seem to find chemistry with anyone. Buch, Kyrou, Neighbours, Snuggy, Holloway. They are all different types of players and none of them have been able to develope any kind of lasting chemistry with Thomas. Maybe it's not them....maybe it's him?

[DawgDad]

This is nuts. Thomas has been beat up and to another poster's point he's being called on to do ALL the heavy lifting and dirty work at center. He's not getting any help from his linemates and very little from other centers.

The Blues, all of them, have been beat down physically and all season they have been wandering in the wilderness mentally. The pressure of mistakes blowing up in their face is multiplied by the frustration of not scoring, constantly playing on the edge. A small few are handling this better than others, but they are not the real difference makers.

Regarding the last sentence, the players less affected at the moment are the players whose role is judged by effort/tenacity which is easy to see. Their role is much simpler to be successful for a reason. The core players are leaned on when results aren’t guaranteed and that where all that pressure is at the moment.

You could make the argument that is what they get paid to do and it is fair to an extent. However, I still think if execution and goaltending was better the first 15 games of the season that we would be in a very different spot right now. Whole team is soul searching at the moment but even when they play like dogs we can’t finish (and the lack of confidence remains an issue).

You can’t play 110% for 82 games, it is not possible.

Yep, I was referring to the effort players. Suter is holding his own but I don't see him creating enough to realy drive an offensive line.

Remember, too, the team popped like a balloon opening night, recovered on the road, then Hofer and Mailloux melted down.

[moose-and-squirrel]

This is nuts. Thomas has been beat up and to another poster's point he's being called on to do ALL the heavy lifting and dirty work at center. He's not getting any help from his linemates and very little from other centers.

The Blues, all of them, have been beat down physically and all season they have been wandering in the wilderness mentally. The pressure of mistakes blowing up in their face is multiplied by the frustration of not scoring, constantly playing on the edge. A small few are handling this better than others, but they are not the real difference makers.

Regarding the last sentence, the players less affected at the moment are the players whose role is judged by effort/tenacity which is easy to see. Their role is much simpler to be successful for a reason. The core players are leaned on when results aren’t guaranteed and that where all that pressure is at the moment.

You could make the argument that is what they get paid to do and it is fair to an extent. However, I still think if execution and goaltending was better the first 15 games of the season that we would be in a very different spot right now. Whole team is soul searching at the moment but even when they play like dogs we can’t finish (and the lack of confidence remains an issue).

You can’t play 110% for 82 games, it is not possible.

Yep, I was referring to the effort players. Suter is holding his own but I don't see him creating enough to realy drive an offensive line.

Remember, too, the team popped like a balloon opening night, recovered on the road, then Hofer and Mailloux melted down.

and since then, both have been pretty darn good

[zamadoo]

This is nuts. Thomas has been beat up and to another poster's point he's being called on to do ALL the heavy lifting and dirty work at center. He's not getting any help from his linemates and very little from other centers.

The Blues, all of them, have been beat down physically and all season they have been wandering in the wilderness mentally. The pressure of mistakes blowing up in their face is multiplied by the frustration of not scoring, constantly playing on the edge. A small few are handling this better than others, but they are not the real difference makers.

Regarding the last sentence, the players less affected at the moment are the players whose role is judged by effort/tenacity which is easy to see. Their role is much simpler to be successful for a reason. The core players are leaned on when results aren’t guaranteed and that where all that pressure is at the moment.

You could make the argument that is what they get paid to do and it is fair to an extent. However, I still think if execution and goaltending was better the first 15 games of the season that we would be in a very different spot right now. Whole team is soul searching at the moment but even when they play like dogs we can’t finish (and the lack of confidence remains an issue).

You can’t play 110% for 82 games, it is not possible.

Yep, I was referring to the effort players. Suter is holding his own but I don't see him creating enough to realy drive an offensive line.

Remember, too, the team popped like a balloon opening night, recovered on the road, then Hofer and Mailloux melted down.

and since then, both have been pretty darn good

true

[Bacchk29]

I believe he is part of the core of coach killers on this roster. He is the player that I think by moving that you can get a good player back and change the room at the same time.
I would not move him for picks or prospects -- rather a hockey trade,player for player.
The player I would like to see the Blues try for is Carolina Hurricanes center Sebastian Aho.
He is a similar type of player, who has been with the Canes for about as long as Thomas has been with the Blues. Carolina is like the Blues, the team always seems like they are missing something.maybe a core change in their room shakes things up also.The money is close, Aho makes slightly more, but not so much that a deal could not be worked out. I think a change of scenery would benefit both players.
I would be open to other centers also, I was just pointing out a player I have also liked, plays a similar style as Thomas. Their numbers are kind of close but Aho is more of a goal scorer then Thomas.

I hate to agree, but I do.

He was the other half of the lazy 8.125 million by 8 years duo who were enough to get Berube fired.
If he hadn’t taken Kyrou’s side… it would have ended differently.

Berube may have needed to go, that is not my point. The point is that two “bonus babies” were seen - by Armstrong- as a hill he was prepared to die on. And I think that decision set the standard by which Kyrou , and to a lesser degree Thomas, were going to be held to. RT has five times the compete of Kyrou, for sure, but he doesn’t have as much fire as a contending team needs in their top offensive player. Would it be nice if he had more help? Of course. Kyrou SHOULD be the guy, but he is a soul-killer. When two kids don’t like being told to play hard, smart, and to backcheck, and Management takes their side over the Chief’s…. Competing just doesn’t seem that important does it?

I’ll play. On your perfect team when we trade the malcontents, who scores goals? Asking for a friend.

[theograce]

He’s turning out to be a 20 goal man

It’s not good nope

[Cahokanut]

There might be coach killers on the team. But that's not the problem here.

The coach is killing himself.
When the play of a whole team, outside of the coaches favorite fourth liners, can be accused of coach killing. It's not on them. But the abusive (donkey)(pit) that wants players to play roles they are not casted for.

As for Thomas. We've turned him into one of the best second line centers in the game. At a pretty good price. Trading him means full 5+ year rebuild.
Unless his attitude is [shirt], or if all/most/half of these great army picks end up being the fourth liner, safe picks often are.
You trade him.
I'd want a three top asset return. I just don't trust Army with his talent evaluation and I'll worry about Steen's with hitch and Army over his shoulder.

[hockey jedi]

Not intending to rain on your day, but Army has proven he is a good evaluator of talent. He's so good he built a Stanley Cup winner and Canada regularly has him as the GM for their gold medal winning national team. He's found diamonds in the rough and underperforming players on other teams that have prospered in St. Louis. No one can predict how an investment will perform over the long term. Everyone, and I mean everyone, on this forum felt pretty good going into the season. It's fair to say we all thought we would pick up where we left off last year. Pretty much every player on the Blues is not performing how they have in the past. The one thing the Blues did in 2019 to turn things around was to bring up Jordon Nolan for a stretch. He played a physical game and it seem to energize everyone else. The Chief brought up Mac Mac and Sammy Blais. The physical element changed the Blues complexion. The Blues need to start the shuttle to Springfield giving those players a taste and letting the core know the Blues will find players that want to compete.

[aslord]

Thomas is hurt. He took 2 days off for maintenance and sat in the last half of the erd when the last game was out of reach.

As mentioned, he needs another center to compliment him. He plays in almost every situation. And teams can key on him.

And no, I don't believe he is part of any locker room issue.

Hurt? Ok, what was his issue for the first 20 games?

[aslord]

Not intending to rain on your day, but Army has proven he is a good evaluator of talent. He's so good he built a Stanley Cup winner and Canada regularly has him as the GM for their gold medal winning national team. He's found diamonds in the rough and underperforming players on other teams that have prospered in St. Louis. No one can predict how an investment will perform over the long term. Everyone, and I mean everyone, on this forum felt pretty good going into the season. It's fair to say we all thought we would pick up where we left off last year. Pretty much every player on the Blues is not performing how they have in the past. The one thing the Blues did in 2019 to turn things around was to bring up Jordon Nolan for a stretch. He played a physical game and it seem to energize everyone else. The Chief brought up Mac Mac and Sammy Blais. The physical element changed the Blues complexion. The Blues need to start the shuttle to Springfield giving those players a taste and letting the core know the Blues will find players that want to compete.

Ah yes, who can forget the magical run that Jordan Nolan went on in 2019?

[Cahokanut]

Not intending to rain on your day, but Army has proven he is a good evaluator of talent. He's so good he built a Stanley Cup winner and Canada regularly has him as the GM for their gold medal winning national team. He's found diamonds in the rough and underperforming players on other teams that have prospered in St. Louis. No one can predict how an investment will perform over the long term. Everyone, and I mean everyone, on this forum felt pretty good going into the season. It's fair to say we all thought we would pick up where we left off last year. Pretty much every player on the Blues is not performing how they have in the past. The one thing the Blues did in 2019 to turn things around was to bring up Jordon Nolan for a stretch. He played a physical game and it seem to energize everyone else. The Chief brought up Mac Mac and Sammy Blais. The physical element changed the Blues complexion. The Blues need to start the shuttle to Springfield giving those players a taste and letting the core know the Blues will find players that want to compete.

This is the team Army built.

While he helped build the team in 19. The only credit I give him was calling them all contractors, and putting "everyone" on the block.
As that allow them, with the goalie that army claimed needed more seasoning to come together under as a team under the [fork] army flag.

Also. Being the GM of team Canada is political.

[hockey jedi]

Not intending to rain on your day, but Army has proven he is a good evaluator of talent. He's so good he built a Stanley Cup winner and Canada regularly has him as the GM for their gold medal winning national team. He's found diamonds in the rough and underperforming players on other teams that have prospered in St. Louis. No one can predict how an investment will perform over the long term. Everyone, and I mean everyone, on this forum felt pretty good going into the season. It's fair to say we all thought we would pick up where we left off last year. Pretty much every player on the Blues is not performing how they have in the past. The one thing the Blues did in 2019 to turn things around was to bring up Jordon Nolan for a stretch. He played a physical game and it seem to energize everyone else. The Chief brought up Mac Mac and Sammy Blais. The physical element changed the Blues complexion. The Blues need to start the shuttle to Springfield giving those players a taste and letting the core know the Blues will find players that want to compete.

Ah yes, who can forget the magical run that Jordan Nolan went on in 2019?

Don't be an aslord. He came up and hit everything in site. I never implied he went on a magical run.