Blues signs Capitals trade acquisition to $40.5 million contract

The St. Louis Blues made sure their newest forward would never actually have to face them in arbitration. St. Louis signed Connor McMichael to a six-year, $40.5 million contract on Thursday, carrying an annual cap hit of $6.75 million.

The deal comes just over three weeks before McMichael’s scheduled arbitration hearing, which had been set for July 25 after he filed alongside 14 other restricted free agents across the league, a group that also included notable names like Jason Robertson and Kirby Dach.

McMichael arrived in St. Louis on June 23 as the centerpiece of a trade that sent Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals, with St. Louis also receiving forward Milton Gastrin and a first-round pick. The 25-year-old center never actually suited up for the Blues before signing his new deal, meaning the deal was based entirely on his three seasons of tape with Washington.

McMichael broke out with the Capitals in 2024-25, posting 26 goals and 57 points across 82 games after working his way up from a two-year, $4.2 million bridge contract. His production dipped slightly last season to 14 goals and 46 points in 78 games, but the sample was enough for St. Louis to lock him in for the long term rather than risk a rising cap market driving his price higher down the road. For his career, McMichael has 67 goals and 154 points across 315 games since Washington drafted him 25th overall in 2019.

McMichael made clear he was thrilled about the move to St. Louis right after the trade was first announced.

“I’m super-excited,” McMichael said. “I think one of the first things I did when I found out is checked the Blues roster and got familiar with the guys. From what I saw, there’s going to be a lot of years where we can be competitive. It’s a team that’s looking to build and get better and better each year.”

The extension signals how St. Louis views its return in the Kyrou deal. Locking up McMichael before he ever played a game for the franchise suggests the front office sees him as a foundational piece of its young core rather than simply a complementary piece added to balance the trade.