Breaking News: The St. Louis Blues are shaking things up! In a move that's sure to generate buzz, the Blues have just acquired forward Akil Thomas from the Los Angeles Kings. This trade, announced by St. Louis Blues President of Hockey Operations and General Manager Doug Armstrong, sees forward Nikita Alexandrov heading to the Kings in return. But what does this mean for both teams? Let's dive in.
Akil Thomas, who is 25 years old, will be heading to the Blues' AHL affiliate, the Springfield Thunderbirds. This season, Thomas has been putting up impressive numbers with the Kings' AHL affiliate, the Ontario Reign, racking up 13 points – that's four goals and nine assists – in just 19 games.
Looking at his AHL career, the Toronto, Ontario native has a solid track record, with a total of 106 points (50 goals and 56 assists) and 76 penalty minutes in 176 regular-season games.
And this is where it gets interesting... Thomas has also seen some NHL action, playing in 32 regular-season games with the Kings, where he scored seven points (four goals and three assists) and picked up nine penalty minutes. He was originally drafted by the Kings in the second round, No. 51 overall, in the 2018 NHL Draft.
On the other side of the trade, 25-year-old Nikita Alexandrov, who was originally drafted by the Blues in the second round, No. 62 overall, in the 2019 NHL Draft, is now joining the Kings. During his six seasons with the Blues organization, the Burgwedel, Germany native, had a strong showing in the AHL, with 143 points (61 goals and 82 assists) and 72 penalty minutes in 188 regular-season games. He also contributed to the NHL team, scoring nine points (three goals and six assists) and 12 penalty minutes in 51 regular-season games.
This trade raises some questions: Will Thomas get a shot at the NHL with the Blues? What does this mean for Alexandrov's future with the Kings? Do you think this trade benefits the Blues, the Kings, or both? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
