During the first television timeout of the Blues’ 2-1 win over the Canucks on Thursday night, Robert Thomas was just trying to get ready for an offensive-zone faceoff.
But he was being lauded by the Enterprise Center crowd. Clips of him as a child playing hockey were run on the video board. His teammates leaned over the bench to bang their sticks against the boards.
The crowd recognized Thomas for being named an All-Star for the first time in his career. The rest of the game showed why he was.
Thomas had a goal and an assist on Thursday night, including the game-winning goal in the third period, to lead the Blues past the Canucks, who entered the evening leading the Western Conference standings. Thomas’ night was supplemented by Colton Parayko’s seventh goal of the season, and Jordan Binnington’s 25 saves.
“Obviously, you want team success, but that’s something that’s a pretty special moment in your career and something that I’m pretty excited for,†said Thomas, who will be able to play an All-Star Game in his hometown of Toronto.
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Thomas said he found out a couple days ago that he would be the Blues’ representative at the game, via a call from Blues general manager Doug Armstrong. Then Thomas let his family and friends know.
“My family and friends are so excited, and my grandma is super stoked to be there,†Thomas said. “It should be a cool experience for all of us.â€
Thursday — the All-Star nod, the performance against the Canucks — might have overshadowed a sizeable hypothesis that Thomas has put forward with his play: Robert Thomas might be the most impactful forward in the NHL at even-strength.
“I think he doesn’t get credit how he plays against top lines every night,†linemate Pavel Buchnevich said. “Good two-way player. If we had a better record, should be for Selke probably. Proud of him, and good to see how he grows each year I was with him. Happy for him.â€
On a Blues team that has buoyed in the midsection of the NHL standings, Thomas has been a constant. He’s stepped into the role of a No. 1 center, taken on tough matchups, and produced offense, while also living up the expectations of his eight-year contract extension that kicked in this season and those of an alternate captain for the first time.
Through 37 games, he has 34 even-strength points, which is tied for second in the NHL behind Colorado’s Nathan MacKinnon (38). Overall, he has 41 points, which would put him on pace for about 91 points across a complete season, which would be a new career high.
“There’s just a lot of maturity,†Blues interim coach Drew Bannister said. “He’s becoming a more mature, professional hockey player and understanding what he needs to do as a player to give our team an opportunity for success. I think the offensive side comes very easy for him. Obviously, he has to work at it, but he sees the ice so well.â€
But Thomas’ impact is seen because he can transform the Blues into a completely different team when he’s on the ice, perhaps unlike any other forward in the league. Consider these:
— When Thomas is on the ice at even-strength, the Blues outscore opponents 39-23, a plus-16 differential. When he’s not on the ice, ºüÀêÊÓƵ is outscored 71-46, a minus-25 differential. That’s a 41-goal swing just at even-strength when Thomas is on the ice.
With the season 37 games old, Thomas is essentially worth one goal per game relative to his teammates — and that’s only during the 15:43 a game that he is on the ice at even-strength.
— Thomas turns the Blues into an elite possession team when he’s on the ice, too. According to Natural Stat Trick, the Blues control 54.95% of shots on goal when Thomas is on the ice at even-strength, and just 45.31% of shots on goal when he’s on the bench.
To put that in perspective, the Blues without Thomas hover between Chicago (43.73%) and Columbus (46.19%) and would be the third-worst team in the NHL at controlling shots on goal. But with him, they turn into the fourth-best team in the league at possessing the puck.
— The 9.64% difference in shots for percentage (for Thomas relative to the rest of the team) is the eighth-best mark among the 367 NHL forwards with at least four hours of ice time at evens. But it’s not the only category in which Thomas makes a difference.
His impact on scoring chances is first, goals fifth, expected goals ninth and shot attempts 13th. He is the only forward to rank in the top 13 in all five categories. In fact, no other forward ranks that highly in even four of those categories, per Natural Stat Trick.
— This season, Thomas has won his matchups with Nathan MacKinnon (Blues outscored Colorado 1-0 when both were on the ice at even-strength), Sidney Crosby (2-1), Jack Eichel (2-1), Roope Hintz (1-0), Aleksander Barkov (3-0), Claude Giroux (1-0) and Connor Bedard (3-1).
“I don’t think any line in the league dominate us,†Buchnevich said. “We all in the plus, so he did a great job against top guys like Crosby, MacKinnon, doesn’t matter who, Eichel, all those guys. He’s elite player right now, so good to see how he go, and hopefully keep going.â€
Blues defenseman Colton Parayko added: “It’s definitely not easy. That’s the good thing about him, he’s always there. He’s hard on pucks. He can protect the puck well. In the o-zone, he holds on to pucks really well, which is a huge part of his game, and a huge part of defense, essentially. He’s playing offense, which is a good form of defense.â€
On Thursday night, Thomas received a heavy dose of J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson, and the two players were held without a point. They combined for two shots on goal. Only once this season have Miller and Pettersson been held to fewer shots on goal. When? On Oct. 27 … against the Blues, albeit in a 5-0 Canucks blowout of ºüÀêÊÓƵ.
“I think tonight is a real good example of why he’s an All-Star in the league, what he can bring to the team offensively and defensively,†Bannister said. “The matchups that he saw tonight, whether it was the Pettersson line, the Miller line, he did an outstanding job.â€
Thomas: “We’re all competitors. We love the challenge. The challenge of getting to go against the best guys is something that a lot of people get excited for, and that’s the way I look at it.â€
Thomas’ development this season could be the franchise’s most important storyline as it transitions from one core to another. To make Armstrong’s retool work, Thomas needed to transform into a star, an impact player all over the ice, and someone who one day could deliver a 90- or 100-point season.
Some of that production has come from scoring, as the pass-first Thomas has found the back of the net so many times (16) this season that Buchnevich said “he is like our Ovechkin, so got to keep shooting.â€
The Blues will take that, and they’ll also take his play-driving in the big minutes he receives.
“He deserves the minutes,†Bannister said. “He’s earned the minutes and he’s going to continue to grow. I don’t think he’s reached his ceiling. He’s going to continue to get better.â€