The St. Louis Blues have signed forward Connor McMichael to a six-year, $40.5 million deal, locking up a player they just acquired in a major trade a few weeks earlier.
The Agreement Does Not Provide For Arbitration
New general manager Alex Steen announced the signing on Thursday, a little more than two weeks after he took over for Doug Armstrong on July 1.
McMichael, a restricted free agent, requested salary arbitration July 5. The hearing would be held later this month, which won’t be necessary anymore because of this agreement
The deal extends through the 2031-32 season and carries an annual salary cap hit of $6.75 million. The breakdown: $7.5 million in year one, $6.75 million in years two to five and $6 million in the final year.
Connor McMichael has signed a 6×6.75M with the Blues 💰
He broke out in 2025 with 26G & 57P, but then only had 14G & 46P this season before being included in the Kyrou package pic.twitter.com/zKexgy71FH
— B/R Open Ice (@BR_OpenIce) July 16, 2026
A new face in St Louis
According to ESPN, McMichael was the center piece of last month when the Blues traded goal-scorer Jordan Kyrou to the Washington Capitals. St. Louis also got a prospect, Milton Gastrin, and a 2026 first-round pick in that trade.
The new contract brought McMichael more than three times his previous earnings. He made only $2.1 million on a bridge deal with Washington in each of the past two seasons.
Career Numbers and Potential
McMichael, who played in 78 games with the Capitals, scored 14 goals and added a career-high 32 assists for 46 points, down from his total the previous year. That is off his career-best season in 2024-25 where he finished with 57 points and 26 goals in all 82 games.
The Ajax, Ontario native was a 25th overall pick in the 2019 draft and posted 154 points in 315 regular season games over his six-year tenure in Washington. The Blues hope to carry momentum into a new era in St. Louis.
