Christmas has arrived early for the St. Louis Blues. Robert Thomas will be returning to the lineup for Tuesday’s game in St. Louis. The 2024 All-Star centre is returning two weeks earlier than his expected return date.
Thomas Returning to St. Louis Blues Lineup
Thomas says he’s in tonight. #stlblues
— Jeremy Rutherford (@jprutherford) November 19, 2024
Thomas fractured his ankle on October 22. He was given a six-week timeframe to return, which would have been in early December. Even then, there was concern he would be out even longer.
“He’s put in a lot of work to get to this point,” head coach Drew Bannister said. “It doesn’t look like he’s missed a beat; he’s in great shape. He went away for 1-2 weeks to do some work in Toronto with his doctors, and I think that really sped up the process.”
Lineup Gets Big Boost
Thomas was having an excellent start to the season. He averaged 20:33 per game, won 62.6% of his draws, and posted career-best possession numbers with a 58.1 CF% and 64.9 xGF% at even strength. While his scoring numbers were down, just one goal in seven games, we should expect to see him breakout once he returns to the lineup. A point-per-game player last season, Thomas is not one who will be off the scoresheet for long.
To create a spot on the roster, the Blues placed Kasperi Kapanen on waivers on Monday. At the time, some wondered if it meant Thomas was returning early, but it seemed more likely that the Blues were simply looking to shed a little cap space and create more playing time for someone like Zachary Bolduc. As it turns out, the move is to create a space for the 2019 Stanley Cup champion. As note, Kapanen has since been claimed by the Edmonton Oilers earlier today.
Forward Group Healthy
Thomas’s return means the Blues forward group is officially back from injury. The team is still dealing with some injuries on defence, with Philip Broberg being the biggest absence at this time. However, things are trending in the right direction for the Blues. The team is only a few points out of the Western Conference’s final playoff spot. As the team gets healthier, it will be exciting to see if this team can end their two-year playoff drought.
Main Photo Credit: Jeff Le-USA TODAY Sports
