St. Louis Blues forward Robert Thomas was the subject of trade rumors before last week’s deadline, but he told reporters Tuesday that the team did not ask him to waive his no-movement clause to facilitate a deal.
He also added that he never asked to be traded by his general manager Doug Armstrong.
Thomas added, however, that it was difficult to hear his name being rumored.
“Yes, it’s obviously been a very difficult week for my family. You never know what’s going to happen, so it’s been tough,” he told The Athletic reporter Jeremy Rutherford.
Thomas also understands that this is normal at this time of year, especially given the Blues’ position in the standings.
“You know, it’s part of the job. We understand the situation we find ourselves in. I think everyone knows that [le directeur général Doug Armstrong] met with us beforehand to let us know what was going to happen, so we knew very well what to expect,” Thomas said.
“It’s part of the game and we have to move forward. We do our best to finish the season strong, and then we go from there. »
Away from the playoffs, the Blues were among the top sellers at the trade deadline. Captain Brayden Schenn and defenseman Justin Faulk left St. Louis in separate trades.
The Blues had also reached a deal with the Buffalo Sabers for defenseman Colton Parayko, but the veteran defenseman refused to waive his no-movement clause and ultimately remained in St. Louis.
Our contributor Pierre LeBrun reported that it made sense for the Blues to complete any deal involving Thomas a day before last Friday’s deadline to give the star center time to decide whether he wanted to agree to waive his clause to leave to a new team.
Thomas said he expected further discussions after the season about his future and that of the team. The Blues currently sit in seventh place in the Central Division with a 25-29-9 record and 59 points in 63 games, and are on pace to miss the playoffs for the third time in four seasons.
“Obviously there will be a lot of discussion at the end of the season. Since I signed my contract, I’ve made it known that I want to win here again, that I want to be a leader here. That message has never changed on my part,” he said.
The 26-year-old is in the third year of an eight-year contract worth $65 million, with a salary cap hit of $8.13 million per season. He has a no-trade clause until the final year of his contract, after which it converts to a modified no-move clause with a list of 15 teams to which he cannot be traded.
Despite the Blues’ difficult season, Thomas had another solid year, with 15 goals and 40 points in 46 games, continuing his career-long near-point-per-game pace.
