The St. Louis Blues and forward Connor McMichael got a major piece of business out of the way, signing a six-year, $40.5 million contract.
The deal precludes the need for arbitration, something that nobody wanted to go through. That’s all well and fine, but now is when the real work begins.
For McMichael, the time has come to prove he deserves the extension. The 25-year-old will be under pressure to show that he’s worth what the Blues are paying for.
Judging from history, there’s plenty of reason to believe this deal could age very well. At last season’s trade deadline, numerous teams looking to trade with the Washington Capitals had McMichael on their wish list. However, the Caps wouldn’t budge.
They had to do it this offseason. They needed more offensive punch, and Jordan Kyrou figured to be the guy they wanted. That was a gain for the Blues. McMichael, like Mason McTavish, is the type of forward who can play both down the middle and on the wings. That gives Jim Montgomery plenty of flexibility. In fact, it wouldn’t be surprising to see McMichael and McTavish play on the same line next season.
That’s the sort of bet the Blues are making on with McMichael. But the question now is: What can St. Louis reasonably expect?
McMichael has ceiling Blues would love to see
The ceiling on the former first-round pick from 2019 is a second-line center. If that’s the case, that’s just dandy. The Blues have Robert Thomas entrenched as the top-line pivot. So, having McMichael as a potential 2C works out just fine.
If you add McTavish as also capable of being a 2C, the Blues could deploy Thomas, McTavish, and McMichael as their 1-2-3 down the middle.
That situation leaves Dalibor Dvorsky sort of up in the air. There’s no question that Dvorsky is nowhere near a fourth-liner. So, why not deploy McMichael as a winger? Playing with the right partner, he could make up for the production that departed with Kyrou.
If McMichael’s ceiling puts him as a top-six winger, that’s also fantastic. Seeing the top-four wingers as McMichael, Pavel Buchnevich, Jimmy Snuggerud, and, say, Dylan Holloway, all of a sudden, the Blues look like one of the deepest in the Western Conference.
Even if McMichael doesn’t reach top-six status, he could be a very effective middle-six winger. Potentially dropping him to a third line with Dvorsky would balance out the Blues’ top six. A third line that can actually score is something the Blues will need to keep pace in the Central Division.
Considering McMichael’s cap hit and the direction NHL salary trends are going, the Blues could have a bargain of a deal for the foreseeable future.
Add us as a preferred source on Google