Timothy T. Ludwig-USA TODAY Sports

My St. Louis Blues player to watch on Thursday against the Edmonton Oilers is center Robert Thomas.

Player to watch vs. Oilers: Robert Thomas (1:21)

Thomas has faced and met challenges against the opposition's top-line players with success throughout the season, but this will be arguably his biggest going against the red-hot Connor McDavid and the Oilers, who are 18-2-0 the past 20 games, and McDavid is coming off a six-assist game on Tuesday against the Detroit Red Wings.

Nathan MacKinnon of the Colorado Avalanche has met the stiff tests Thomas has brought this season, and he is the lone skater that one can compare to McDavid, who will face the Blues for the first time this season.

Thomas also maintains his scoring while shutting down those opponents; he has 13 points (two goals, 11 assists) his past nine games and is a point-per-game player in his career against the Oilers with 12 points (five goals, seven assists).

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