By the time the NHL officially returns from the Olympic break, Robert Thomas might be back on the ice.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday at the first practice since the break, head coach Jim Montgomery said that Thomas “is recovering really well,” per NHL.com’s Lou Korac.
“He just started his first recovery skate,” added Montgomery. We expect him to be participating in practice, but we don’t know exactly when. We’re hoping by the weekend.”
Thomas, from Aurora, Ont., has not played since Jan. 10 and has been on injured reserve since Jan. 15 with a lower-body injury, undergoing a minor procedure on his leg.
He has 11 goals and 33 points through 42 games this season, and in 508 career games in St. Louis, he has 118 goals and 429 points.
The 26-year-old forward’s name has circulated in trade rumours ahead of the upcoming deadline, and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman has reported that the Blues would essentially need an overwhelming return to include him in a deal.
Thomas has four more years remaining on his eight-year, $65-million contract, which he signed in 2022.