The St. Louis Blues have been one of, if not the most active team in the National Hockey League this off-season, and while they’ve changed General Manager’s in that time as well, they’ve put themselves in a position to have a major bounce back season in 2026/27.
Not only did the team have a good draft, landing Tynan Lawrence and Maddox Dagenais in the first round, but they were active in trades as well, acquiring Mason McTavish, Connor McMichael and future assets in exchange for draft capital and Jordan Kyrou. Now, one of their off-season acquisitions has committed to the Blues on a long-term deal, with the future of the organization starting to take shape.
Connor McMichael Signs Long-Term Deal in St. Louis
GettyConnor McMichael with the Washington Capitals.
While McTavish is a former No. 3 overall pick, he’s yet to take the leap that many hoped, and instead, it’s Connor McMichael, a former Washington Capitals late first-round pick that has shown true potential as a top-six player in the National Hockey League, improving immensely over the past few seasons.
As a result, it’s no shock that the team coveted him in a trade with the Washington Capitals involving Jordan Kyrou, and now, the Blues have shown just how much McMichael means to the future of their team. While he originally filed for arbitration, the two sides have come to a happy conclusion on Thursday, with the organization announcing a massive six-year contract extension that will keep him in St. Louis until he’s 31-years-old.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the deal will come with an annual average value of $6.75 million, and given the money that’s been handed out already this off-season, if McMichael can continue on his current trajectory, this will be an absolute steal for the Blues organization.
Can McMichael and the Blues be a Playoff Team in 2026/27?
With the additions of McMichael and McTavish, this Blues lineup is looking very dangerous all of a sudden, with the top-six rounded out by Robert Thomas, Dylan Holloway, Jimmy Snuggerud and Pavel Buchenevich, and given how wide open the Western Conference is, the Blues could be a genuine threat in the Central Division.
As for McMichael, he took a huge leap over the past two years, combining for 40 goals and 103 points across 160 games played, and while there’s no guarantees that he’ll be just as good or better in St. Louis, he’ll be afforded a significant role in the top-six, and if he can continue to improve, this could turn out as a major win-win deal for St. Louis and Washington.
Only time will tell just how good this team can be though, but credit has to be given to the Blues front office, as they got aggressive this off-season and added some significant talent that fits not only their team profile, but their age profile as well, and with this deal, the team are clearly set up to be competitive for a long time to come.
Blues Make Major Commitment to top off-Season Acquisition