There is no question that excitement picked up for the Buffalo Sabres ahead of the NHL Trade Deadline on Tuesday. It was reported by a number of insiders that talks were picking up between the Sabres and the St. Louis Blues around center Robert Thomas.
It is not often that a top center in the prime of his career becomes available, and the fact that it is rare means that the Blues' asking price is extremely high. However, the Sabres might be in a position where they are willing to meet that demand.
They are currently in a great position to end their playoff drought and could be looking for more depth up the middle. A trade for Thomas would likely mean that Tage Thompson goes back to the wing, and the Sabres could then have Alex Tuch on the other side.
After the initial report of the Buffalo Sabres being involved in talks for Robert Thomas, Chris Johnston of The Athletic reported that the Sabres were offering the equivalent of multiple first-round picks as part of their trade package.
The #sabres are viewed around the industry as a potential dark horse team that could spice up this trade deadline.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) March 3, 2026
Further to @DarrenDreger report, Buffalo is believed to be dangling the equivalent of multiple 1st-rounders in Robert Thomas talks. https://t.co/nWXXL6HUzZ
Predicting what the Buffalo Sabres could offer in a trade package for Robert Thomas
The Buffalo Sabres are going to have to be bold with any trade for Robert Thomas, and that means it is hard to imagine a scenario where they get Thomas from the Blues without including Konsta Helenius. He is easily the team's top prospect and has been very productive with Rochester this season, with 13 goals and 27 assists in 43 games.
Helenius also made his NHL debut this season and, in nine games, had one goal and three assists before returning to Rochester. When thinking about the equivalent of multiple first-round picks, Helenius absolutely would have that level of evaluation.
The Sabres also will include at least one of their first-round picks over the next three seasons, and from Buffalo's perspective, it shouldn't really matter what year the pick is.
Where it becomes a little bit of a challenge is that the Sabres are going to need to clear cap space to add Robert Thomas. According to Puckpedia, the Sabres only have about $7.3 million in current cap space available, which is about a million short in terms of Thomas' AAV of $8.125 million.
The math might work as Thomas' AAV would be prorated since it is during the season, so the Sabres would not be required to pay the full $8.125 million, but would likely need to trade someone from their current NHL roster to make the move work.
If the Sabres were to add Thomas, it would make sense to try to include Josh Norris in that package. He is often injured and has an AAV of $7.95 million, with this being the final year before a modified no-trade clause kicks in. If the Sabres are concerned about his long-term production, this is the season to trade him.
From the Blues' perspective, it is worth the gamble as when Norris is healthy, he is a difference maker. He is still early in his career at 26 years old and has 20 points in 22 games this season.
However, for the Sabres to be able to include Norris, they have to make it worth it to St. Louis to take on the injury risk that comes with the player. When considering how deep their prospect pool is, adding a player like Isak Rosen could be enough to get a deal done.
It would be a steep price for the Buffalo Sabres, but it is a move that not only helps them this season and really puts them in the top tier of Eastern Conference teams. However, it also minimizes the hole left with the expected departure of Alex Tuch in free agency.