Robert Thomas is back on Boston's radar, and Marco Sturm now has another summer storyline hanging over the Bruins.

The latest rumor round picked up a name Bruins fans already know well.

Thomas was linked to Boston before the NHL trade deadline, and that chatter is back after St. Louis missed the playoffs again.

That matters because this isn't random noise from midseason.

The same report points to Boston as one of the clubs tied to the 26-year-old center when the Blues were listening earlier in the year.

For Bruins fans, the fit is easy to see.

Thomas is the kind of top-six playmaking center this roster has lacked, especially for a team that still needs more pace and more control through the middle.

The price is where this gets heavy.

St. Louis GM Doug Armstrong was reportedly looking for the equivalent of at least 3 first-round picks when Thomas surfaced before the deadline.

That number alone explains why nothing happened then.

It also explains why Boston would need to decide whether a real swing for a true first-line center is worth the pain this summer.

The other layer here is timing.

The Blues have missed the playoffs for the 3rd time in 4 seasons, and this offseason starts a new stretch with Alexander Steen taking over the GM chair while Armstrong stays on as team president.

Bruins face major Robert Thomas decision as trade talk heats up

Thomas stayed put at the deadline, and he later said he was never asked to waive his no-trade clause and did not want to leave.

That should cool the hype a bit, but it didn't shut the door.

A recent report by The Athletic's Blues beat writer, Jeremy Rutherford, is who pushed this rumor back into the spotlight.

Rutherford didn't dismiss the idea of Thomas agreeing to a move this summer if trade talks pick up again.

From a Bruins angle, that's enough to keep the story alive.

Boston doesn't need another depth add down the middle.

It needs a driver, someone who can feed skill wingers and settle the puck down in tough minutes.

Thomas checks that box, which is why this link keeps circling back.

He's not a fringe target or a fallback plan.

He's the kind of player who would change the shape of Boston's forward group.

That doesn't mean a deal is coming.

It means the Bruins are once again attached to one of the biggest center names that could shake loose, and this time the smoke is returning before the summer even starts.