As a 19-year-old with less than four years of experience in juniors, Thomas is ineligible to play in the American Hockey League. If he plays in a 10th NHL game for the Blues, this season will count as the first year of his three-year entry-level deal. If that situation occurs, there's a good chance that means he will be a Blue for good.
"I consider it a big game for him because we've given him the opportunity to be in the lineup for eight games up to this point," said Blues Head Coach Mike Yeo. "Not big minutes, and probably not in the role that he's going to be in down the road as an NHL hockey player… We see him higher up in the lineup. We knew an opportunity would come.
"I have seen progress and development in his game up to this point," Yeo added. "You can see first off, he's much more used to the battle and the pace of the NHL game, and he's adjusted to that nicely. More frequently through every game right now, you're seeing him skate through the neutral zone with the puck on his stick. You didn't see that much in the first couple games. There's been progress, now we're anxious to see if he can take another big step here tonight. Increased ice time, a bigger role and playing with players who can do something offensively with a guy who can make plays."
Thomas has three assists in his first eight NHL games, and those points have come with limited minutes as the fourth-line center. On Tuesday, he gets a chance to center Robby Fabbri and David Perron.
"It's a really big opportunity for me," Thomas said before the game. "It's something I've worked all my life to get to this point and play your first season. It's a big time for me."
