Newly acquired forward, Blues had until 4 p.m. (CT) Sunday to sign offer sheet, elect to go to arbitration if not signed
Connor McMichael was one of 15 players in the NHL to file for salary arbitration on Sunday.
The newly-acquired St. Louis Blues forward, traded to the Blues by the Washington Capitals that included a 2025 second-round prospect and a 2026 first-round pick, had until 4 p.m. (CT) on Sunday to either sign a contract or an offer sheet before filing for arbitration.
Once a player files for arbitration, they are no longer eligible for an offer sheet, but players and teams can settle their arbitration case up until the hearing begins. Hearings will be scheduled from July 20 to Aug 1. Teams have a window to file for arbitration for 24 hours, ending at 4 pm (CT) on July 6.
The fact that McMichael, who is coming off 46 points (14 goals, 32 assists) in 72 games last season, filed for arbitration doesn't mean it will get to a third-party person ruling on the next contract.
In fact, more than likely the two sides will come to an agreement, and most times it happens that way, prior to the scheduled hearing.
The 25-year-old just wrapped up a two-year, $4.2 million ($2.1 million average annual value) contract with the Capitals and has been identified as a contributing piece for the Blues moving forward.
Should it get to a hearing, an arbitrator can only award a one- or two-year contract. The side that did not elect the arbitration selects the term. McMichael is under team control through the 2027-28 season.
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