NHL Trade Talk
Unconventional Trade Could Bring Flyers Desired No. 1 Center
It’s not every day that an NHL team suddenly becomes willing to trade their No. 1 center. Unless they find one in an upcoming draft, the Philadelphia Flyers might have to do things the hard way in order to find a No. 1 center of their own.
However, one aging team out west is facing a make-or-break season as it tries to stave off a rebuild. That’s the St. Louis Blues—a team that improved on its 2022-23 campaign, to be sure, but still failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the second season in a row.
Drew Bannister, a first-time NHL head coach, guided the team to a 30-19-5 finish to finish the season after replacing Craig Berube midseason. The 50-year-old is now tasked with guiding one of the NHL’s oldest and slowest bluelines back to the Stanley Cup playoffs in hopes that the Blues can win another championship, just as they did in 2019.
Core players layers like former Flyers forward Brayden Schenn, Brandon Saad, Torey Krug, Jordan Binnington, Colton Parayko, and Justin Faulk aren’t getting any younger. If the Blues continue to sputter in second gear, it might be time to strip the team down to the studs and begin drafting some talented, new blood into the organization.
Players currently in their primes, such as Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou, and the recently extended Pavel Buchnevich, would bring in the assets that would allow the Blues to achieve that the fastest.
As for the Flyers, Thomas would clearly be of the most interest as a 25-year-old center coming off an 80-point season. Thomas is widely regarded as one of the NHL’s best and most underrated playmakers, having scored 77, 65, and 86 points, respectively, in his last three seasons.
To put the cherry on top, Thomas was also a member of St. Louis’s Stanley Cup-winning 2019 team.
Selected in the first round of the same draft, the 2017 draft, Thomas has developed into what the Flyers thought Morgan Frost could be. And if the Blues prove they truly cannot hang with the heavyweight titans of the Western Conference any longer, is there a reason to hang onto Thomas if a team like the Flyers comes knocking at their door with a massive trade package?
The Flyers have six picks in the first two rounds of the 2025 NHL Draft, and one would have to imagine that a package for Thomas would eat into most, if not all, of that stockpile. Thomas is heading into the third year of the eight-year, $65 million contract he signed with the Blues, which is coincidentally the beginning of the full no-trade clause he negotiated that lasts until 2030.
The key? St. Louis has missed the playoffs twice in a row since Thomas signed the contract on July 13, 2022.
Thomas carries an $8.125 million cap hit until 2031, so if it’s a question of winning, this is something both the player and the organization will have to be on the same page with in the future. As for the Flyers, if they can’t knock the Blues’ socks off with an offer to make such a deal worth considering, it wouldn’t really matter.
Rebuilds aren’t meant to be easy, and with Matvei Michkov arriving in Philadelphia imminently, the Flyers are starting to run out of time to address the multiple talent deficiencies across the rest of the NHL roster.
New Beat Writer & PhHN Team on the Way
Former NHL Star Evgeny Kuznetsov Offers Sound Advice for Matvei Michkov
Aleksei Kolosov Proving to Doubters He is an NHL Goalie
Philadelphia Flyers Could Unexpectedly Trade Top Young Winger
Flyers Rumors Intensify with Key Players Drawing Trade Interest
Are Flyers Playoff Contenders? We Examine in Latest Podcast
Flyers Podcast: Lots of Positives, But Ryan Ellis Was Mistreated
Will Flyers get a shot at drafting Shane Wright? Here are the intriguing prospects
Tyson Foerster injured on scary hit into end boards
“if not all”? Are you saying Thomas is worth 3 firsts and 3 2nds? Comon.
Yeah, that was a stupid comment. How many players in the entire NHL are worth that haul? And if rumors are true, the Flyers wouldn’t give up 2-3 firsts for #4 this year to get Demidov. Why give up twice as much for Thomas?
Seriously if you had a player like Thomas PPG defensively sound center young and signed long term would you trade him a few mid round firsts.
The chances of drafting a comparable player even with 3 shots is pretty low.
Players like him are only trades because of contract disputes, being disgruntled or injury concerns or being older. Non apply here.
Yeah you only get one window here to bring in all the ingredients for a monster cup run in 3 and 4 years .
he’s actually worth every bit
ditto for a power wing . If you can get Brady tkachuk or tom Wilson for your run in 3 and 4 years you give up massive draft picks
Brady Tkachuk will never be traded by Ottawa and Tom Wilson can stay with the Caps, he’s too old for the timeline here.
There is really no way in hell the Blues trade Thomas. You don’t trade players like that before they even enter their prime. I mean I’d love it, but it’s a pipe dream.
As a Blues fan, I totally agree! It would be an insane move. Thomas is the guy you build around. He is a 200 foot player, skates well, great playmaker and scorer. He is still emerging as a prime NHL talent. If the Blues trade him they’re rebuilding down to stripping off the floor. They already started the rebuild trading Tarasenko, Barbashev, ROR, etc.
St. Louis is cooked . Every player deserves their own team . Once St. Louis moves their goal post back he can absolutely be traded .
see Matt tkachuk trade . See Alex Pietrangelo going to vegas . See jack eichel .
it happens all the time
Big difference. Petro was already past his prime. And, both Tkachuk and Eichel wanted out from their respective teams. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have been traded
Petro was not traded.
Stupidest idea ive ever heard that is Hockey related. To give up that much Draft Capital for one Player? If you did that; his name had better be Bobby Orr or. Larry Robinson.
The most I would trade is TK, Laughton and Edmonton’s #1.
But, DB is probably standing pat, nothing will transpire and Laughton, Farabee, Frost and Risto will all be here and to throw salt in an open wound, they’ll sign TK to a overblown contract extension.
If Fletch was still here, Konecny would have been resigned on 1 July or sooner! So, not so fast, lets give Briere a little more time. It could be telling, that Konecny hasn’t been given a new contract already.
TK could not have signed before July 1. TK doesn’t work with the time line that the team is in at this point. If he waits until the deadline to trade him, the return will be a joke, less than comparable to what the Pens got for Guentzel.
DB will more than likely end up giving him a 7 or 8 year contract worth 8 million per. If he had to be signed, 6 years would be the max for me, hopefully at 7.75
The article says if St Louis decides to rebuild, then why give them TK(27) Laughton (31) for Thomas (25) you sound like you may Chuck F
It was previously reported that St.Louis was enamored with Laughton. TK and Farabee are the best trade pieces. I would prefer to keep Farabee, but if substituting Farabee for TK gets the deal done, so be it.
It’s all hypothetical BS anyway.
I love idea of that trade you proposed , just saying, by sound of article it wouldn’t happen. I’d love to see Thomas in orange and black
Why do they have to trade Frost n Farabee? Those are the kind of players I don’t trade in a rebuild
Farabee and TK are the best two trade pieces that the team has. Frost and Torts have never seen eye to eye. You need to trade something good to get something good and if the Flyers want to attempt to get some players for the first line to skate with Michkov, they need a #1 center and a good LW.
The majority of the rest of the roster will get you squat.
This is exactly what they’re gonna do And I’m going to cancel my season, tickets over it.
So Frost may never become the player Philly envisioned and Briere is holding off signing Konecny. Interesting. The bottom line is the buzz about the arrival of Michkov so why not unload TK and MF? Throw in the oft-injured Risto and see if the Blues will bite on parting ways with Thomas.
Two first round picks, one second round pick and Risto and his contract….should do it. Kill two boyds with one stone.
Why would that make any sense for the Blues? Pretty much he fits in a rebuilding teams age range. The chances of drafting a similar player even with a top 5 pick is rare unless you have the 1st overlall.
Just not rhe type of player available for trade a near ppg young defensively responsible center signed lonf term
Thomas was not a top 5 pick, he was selected at the 20th pick in 2017. Then 2025 is suppose to a lot deeper than previous drafts and teams may be lining up to secure more higher picks. And Thomas has an injury history, so the Blues took a risk with his LTC.
DATE………..INJURY
3/29/23………..Upper body
1/30/23…………Lower-body
11/26/22………..Lower-body
3/17/22……….Illness
12/6/21……….Lower Body
4/10/21………Upper Body
2/6/21……….Thumb
10/5/19………Upper Body
6/1/19………Undisclosed
1/11/19………Upper body
1/10/19……Upper Body
………the good news he only missed 47 games in those four years.
You are hilarious! What difference does it make where he was it the draft? Hes in the top ten percentile in points every year! If we use your logic – then, maybe the Blues would be willing to take Nolan Patrick given that he was number two overall. That should definitely work with your narrative!
Are you sure this article is not about trading for McDavid? In what world does Briere trade all 6 of their picks in the first two rounds?
He wouldn’t, but I’d offer two firsts, two seconds and TK for Draisaitl in a heartbeat.
Anyone who listens to this ignorance needs to re-examine their life choices. The Blues are building around their 25yo #1 C who is signed at a steal of a deal for the rest of his career, not moving him. Just like Michkov is coming to Philly soon, so are Snuggerud and Dvorsky to St. Louis. Those 2 with Thomas, Kyrou, and Neighbours are 5/6 of the Top 2 lines of the rebuild.
Dude. C’mon. Are you in junior high? Blues would never make that trade. You can have Kyrou, though
Love it . Robert Thomas or Draisaitl . It’s on
Ridiculous. McGroarty, Zegras, Necas, there were already plenty better options that would have been cheaper and better age and talent wise.
This team should be shooting for James Hagens or the closest elite potential equivalent they can get with a top 5 pick.
Hilarious. Zegras better than Thomas? Right! Zegras is a sideshow clown! Nothing more
They need to hold onto the picks to help build around what they have and Michkov! They are not in the position to get that 1 guy to win the Cup. They need to build and get the team set up. Then when they are ready, grab that free agent to help.
You don’t trade picks 3rd draft into your rebuild. You gather assets and you draft players you hope are talented. Then you build around talent. Currently there is no talent on this team. It is very mediocre. When Draisaital or Marner becomes available after we have assets then you go all in on surrounding with players.
You need to get out of fantasy hockey mode. Sure, Thomas- Michkov would probably be reminiscent of Hull-Oates. But, you’re only missing one thing – that, there is no way in hell the Blues are trading Thomas. So, why don’t you come back down to earth and write about things that have some basis in reality!
I called it unconventional for a reason
It’s alright to dream my friend I love idea of Thomas on our team conventional or not!
Ahhh, you obviously do not know how deep the Blues farm system is right now. The kids are coming. Davorsky, Stenberg, Lindstein, Dean, Snuggerud are one to two years away to go with Thomas, Kyrou, Neighbours, Torpochenko and Buchy. They are not trading this base for more picks, but I am sure they would offer Nick Leddy for a 3rd round pick if you are interested 😜
Truly you know nothing about the St. Louis Blues team. Thomas is untouchable and our rebuild is moving right along.
You never say never , it’s good to want. All conjecture anyway. If their system is as stacked as ppl say, they don’t have room for them
Yep, absolutely! Just throwing an idea out there
With the way this team’s top6 performed last season just promise McGroarty the freaking playing time and take the chance he’s an Elite 1C with leadership abilities and puts up a 25+goal/60 point season. Tf do you have to lose? A Konecny you can’t/shouldn’t/don’t want to pay? Or a bunch of top10 protected LATE af 1st rounders? Which are more low ceiling prospects?
I think the American kid just wants to play in an American market and is playing hardball to get it. LITERALLY what Michkov JUST did. 🤷♂️
Top line Farabee/McGroarty/Michkov
2nd. Foerster/Couturier/Tippet