The Detroit Red Wings are holding onto a playoff spot, and the team is looking to acquire some help ahead of the March 6 trade deadline.
Detroit could use some help upfront, and the team will likely be linked to plenty of forwards between now and March 6. Ahead of the deadline, Red Wings insider Ansar Khan of MLive believes general manager Steve Yzerman would ‘love’ to acquire St. Louis Blues star forward Robert Thomas.
“His name continues to churn in the rumor mill even though he’s the Blues’ No. 1 center, still young with upside and signed long-term with a team-friendly AAV for a player of his stature. But, if he is available, the Red Wings would love to have him,” Khan wrote.
Thomas is in the third year of his eight-year, $65 million deal with the Blues, so the price to acquire him would be substantial. However, Thomas would be a top-six forward with the Red Wings and would fit in nicely with Detroit’s core.
Thomas is a center and could be Detroit’s first-line center or play behind Dylan Larkin on the second line. He’d also add some more playoff experience as he won the Stanley Cup with the Blues in 2019 as a rookie.
This season, Thomas has recorded 11 goals and 22 assists for 33 points in 42 games.
Thomas Could be Dealt Before Trade Deadline
With St. Louis struggling, Thomas’ name has come up in trade rumors.
Thomas would be highly sought after by playoff-bound teams, and he admitted he knows his name has come up in trade rumors.
“It’s part of it. We know where we’re at in the standings,” Thomas said of the trade rumours, per Lou Korac of The Hockey News. “When you’re in this position, stuff like that happens. You’ve just got to own it. I’m a big part of the reason we’re here to where we’re at. I know stuff like that’s going to come and go. It’s been happening for the last couple of years.”
Thomas, however, does have a no-trade clause, but he wouldn’t divulge if he’d be willing to waive it.
“I don’t really want to talk too much about it now. We’ll talk about it later,” Thomas said. “I have one. That’s kind of where we’re at.”
Thomas has spent his entire career with the Blues after being drafted 20th overall in 2017.
Red Wings Embracing ‘Sense of Urgency’ After Olympic Break
Detroit is holding onto a playoff spot, and the Red Wings know it will be a sprint to the playoffs.
The NHL will resume on Feb. 25, and Red Wings coach Todd McLellan said the team has to have a sense of urgency to start strong.
“You’re getting closer to the finish line, but in a marathon, Mile 1 is the same as Mile 26,” McLellan said. “You value it a little bit different, and we tried to stress that in the first two-thirds of the season. These points are just as valuable as Game 82. …
“It gets more intense. Everything gets tighter. You run out of days, points and games to get to where you want to go and eventually, for the teams that don’t make it, it just dries up. There’s no more time. You run out if it, so that creates a real sense of urgency not just for our team but for every team that’s battling.”
Detroit will return to the ice on Feb. 26 against the Ottawa Senators.
Red Wings Reportedly Would ‘Love’ to Acquire $65M Star Forward Ahead of Deadline