Thomas signs eight-year, $65 million extension with Blues

Robert Thomas signed an eight-year, $65 million contract extension with the St. Louis Blues on Wednesday. It has an average annual value of $8.125 million.

The contract, which starts in 2023-24, will keep the 23-year-old center with the Blues through the 2030-31 season. He could have become a restricted free agent at the end of next season, the last of the two-year, $5.6 million contract ($2.8 million AAV) he signed on Sept. 21, 2021.
"Yeah, I think it's pretty cool," Thomas said. "I think being able to be in St. Louis for eight more years is so exciting."
Thomas had NHL career highs last season in goals (20), assists (57) and points (77) in 72 games. His 57 assists were the most by a St. Louis player since Pavol Demitra also had 57 in 2002-03.
Thomas had six points (two goals, four assists) in 12 games in the Stanley Cup Playoff, when the Blues were eliminated in six games by the Colorado Avalanche in the Western Conference Second Round.
"We look at him as the centerpiece of our organization moving forward," St. Louis general manager Doug Armstrong said. "It reminds me actually of signing (defenseman Alex) Pietrangelo and (forward Vladimir) Tarasenko, both coming off their age 22 [season], we signed them to long-term deals. We felt they were cornerstone players. We feel that's Robert."

Selected by St. Louis with the No. 20 pick in the 2017 NHL Draft, Thomas has 164 points (42 goals, 122 assists) in 241 regular-season games, and 18 points (four goals, 14 assists) in 45 playoff games. He helped the Blues win the Stanley Cup as a rookie in 2019.
"From the minute I got there, I loved St. Louis, I was welcomed by the (Keith) Tkachuk family," Thomas said. "I think that's a good family to be welcomed by. Ever since then, I've loved playing for the Blues. I love the city, I love the people and just so excited about that."
Nick Leddy signed a
four-year, $16 million contract
($4 million AAV) to stay with the Blues on Wednesday. He had been acquired in a trade with the Detroit Red Wings on March 21.
St. Louis also signed goalie
Thomas Greiss
to a one-year, $1.25 million contract, and forward
Noel Acciari
to a one-year, $1.25 million contract.
NHL.com independent correspondent Lou Korac contributed to this report