New developments concerning Robert Thomas and the Montreal Canadiens

Elliotte Friedman might not be fully convinced just yet. But the chatter connecting the St. Louis Blues star to the Canadiens refuses to die down.

The Blues are severely underperforming this season. A massive locker room shakeup in St. Louis feels completely inevitable at this stage.

Thomas is precisely the kind of elite talent Montreal lacks. He brings high-end vision and reliable execution straight down the middle from puck drop to the final horn.

With 33 points through 42 games this year, his offensive output is undeniable. He consistently drives the play and creates high-danger scoring chances.

He currently carries an $8.125 million cap hit. Montreal holds the financial flexibility to absorb that contract without completely mortgaging their future roster construction.

Thomas is just 26 years old right now. He fits absolutely perfectly with the current competitive timeline of this young Canadiens core.

You slot him directly onto the top line from day one. Nick Suzuki finally gets to share the heavy defensive matchups, freeing up both centers to control the offensive zone.

Instead of forcing plays up the boards, Thomas guarantees crisp passing across the blue line. He naturally dictates the overall pace of the game.

Skeptics might point to his current -3 rating on the year. But you have to look past the raw numbers of a rapidly sinking Blues squad.

Over his NHL career, he has proven he can easily produce at better than a point-per-game pace when surrounded by finishing talent. He makes wingers better.

The Montreal locker room would instantly welcome his championship pedigree. He won the Stanley Cup early in his career and knows exactly what it takes to survive a grueling playoff run.

Making a trade of this magnitude obviously requires surrendering premium assets. The Canadiens easily have the draft capital and the deep prospect pool to force St. Louis to listen.

This management group rarely leaks their true intentions to the media. If the trade smoke is getting this thick, there is definitely a real fire burning behind the scenes.