Blues sign Connor McMichael to six-year, $40.5M deal, avoid arbitration

The St. Louis Blues have avoided arbitration with one of the key pieces in the Jordan Kyrou trade.

Connor McMichael agreed to a six-year, $40.5-million contract worth $6.75 million in average annual value in restricted free agency, the team announced Thursday.

McMichael, 25, was acquired by the Blues in the trade that sent Kyrou to the Washington Capitals. The Blues also netted a Milton Gastrin and the 16th overall pick in the 2026 draft, which would be used on Maddox Dagenais.

The left-shooting centre has played at least 78 games in each of the past three seasons. He tallied 14 goals and a career-high 32 assists in 2025-26.

Selected 25th overall in the 2019 draft, McMichael, of Ajax, Ont., has spent his entire career with the Capitals, registering 67 goals and 87 assists in 315 games.

He won a Calder Cup with the team’s AHL affiliate, Hershey Bears, in 2023.