Bold opening: The Blues face a staffing shake-up as they bring back their star and prepare to navigate a looming roster reshuffle. But here's where it gets controversial: the timing and handling of key players could redefine how St. Louis stages its playoff push.
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Blues Activate Robert Thomas, Likely Waive Robby Fabbri
By Gabriel Foley | March 1, 2026 10:15 AM
As anticipated, Robert Thomas has been activated from injured reserve ahead of Saturday’s contest with New Jersey. Thomas had been sidelined with an injury that originated in January and later took a personal leave following the Olympic break.
In conjunction with Thomas’s return, the Blues designated forward Robby Fabbri to the non-roster list. This move signals that Fabbri is likely to hit waivers before Saturday’s game, as reported by AP News’ Stephen Whyno. Fabbri signed an in-season contract with St. Louis after starting the year with the AHL’s Charlotte Checkers. In 15 games with the Blues, he has registered four points, accumulated 12 penalty minutes, and carries a minus-three rating.
February 25 update: The Blues will be without their leading scorer and top center as they emerge from the Olympic break. The team announced that Robert Thomas would take a personal leave of absence through Friday. He will miss Thursday’s matchup with the Seattle Kraken but is expected to rejoin the club in time for Saturday’s game versus the New Jersey Devils.
Thomas’s contribution to the Blues can’t be overstated. Through 42 games this season, he led the team in ice time (roughly 19 minutes per game) and produced the most points among St. Louis forwards with 33. Coming off two peak seasons, Thomas had posted 60 assists in each of those campaigns, tallying 86 and 81 points respectively. Since Ryan O’Reilly’s departure, Thomas has anchored the Blues’ offense as their primary playmaker, creating a sizable void for the upcoming game.
During his absence, St. Louis leaned heavily on Pavel Buchnevich, moving the veteran winger into Thomas’s role on the top unit for both the power play and the penalty kill. Buchnevich also assumed the top-center responsibilities, though his faceoff numbers have been a challenge this season, hovering around a 39.8% clip. In the short term, the Blues could call on Slovak Olympian Dalibor Dvorsky to assume center duties, or they might opt for a platoon arrangement involving Brayden Schenn and Jimmy Snuggerud to man the second line.
No option will be flawless as St. Louis contends with the loss of their star in a pivotal Western Conference matchup.
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Question for readers: Do you think the Blues made the right moves by activating Thomas now and waiving Fabbri, or would you have preferred a different approach to balancing experience and youth once Thomas returned? Share your thoughts below.
