Bruins Have Obvious Top Trade Target In Blues Star

It is not a secret that the Boston Bruins need a first-line center. Bruins president Cam Neely even recently made that clear while speaking to reporters.

With this being the case, the Bruins should be looking to address their first-line center problem this summer. The Elias Lindholm first-line center experiment has simply not paid off.

Yet, this year's pending UFAs are not strong, and the Bruins won't find a first-line center through free agency. Because of this, if the Bruins want to land a true 1C, they will need to do it through trading.

When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, the Bruins' top target should be absolutely clear: Robert Thomas .

Thomas is exactly the kind of center that the Bruins need to make a serious push for this summer. This is because he is not only a true first-line center but would also be a perfect fit on their retooling roster.

Thomas is only 26 years old and has a $8.125 million cap hit until the end of the 2030-31 season. With this, he is not only right in his prime, but would also be a long-term addition for the Bruins if acquired. With this, he undoubtedly stands out as a prime target for the Bruins to consider.

If the Bruins acquired Thomas, he could make some serious magic playing on a line with superstar forward David Pastrnak . He would also give the Bruins a top playmaker to work with on their power play, which is another one of their major needs.

In 64 games this season with the Blues , Thomash had 25 goals and 64 points. This is after he had 81 points in 70 games for St. Louis in 2024-25 and 86 points in 82 games for the Blues in 2023-24. With numbers like these, he would be a home run of an addition for Boston if acquired. Thus, he should be among the players the Bruins kick tires on during the summer.