What Will McMichael’s Next Deal Look Like With Capitals?

The Washington Capitals have a handful of pending free agents to address, and one of the more interesting RFAs to keep an eye on is Connor McMichael.

After developing last year in Hershey after limited ice time with the Capitals. McMichael finally established himself in the NHL this past season. He appeared in 80 games, putting up 18 goals and 15 assists for 33 points.

The 22-year-old was able to take his game to the next level under head coach Spencer Carbery, establishing himself as a playmaker and capable center who could log heavy minutes and play multiple roles with Nicklas Backstrom and Evgeny Kuznetsov departing.

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By the end of his sophomore season, McMichael was playing the role of a top-line center and also getting time on the power play and penalty kill.

Looking at the road ahead for McMichael, he holds a lot of significance for Washington, a team in transition that’s getting younger and faster and starting to establish a new core center group.

McMichael showcased his speed and vision this past season, as well as quick hands and impressive offensive awareness that helped him generate quality scoring opportunities.

Still, he has to continue to find consistency, as his production would hit highs and lows over the course of the year, and he’ll also have to continue to grow his skill-set to prove he is a full time No. 1 center.

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So what will his next contract look like?

Washington signed Aliaksei Protas to a five-year deal with a $3.375 million AAV after a standout sophomore showing, so McMichael could pick up a similar deal to his wing counterpart. It would be a fair comparable, and a good solution for D.C., who is also expected to have some flexibility to work with, to keep him long-term on a fair salary.

But for the Capitals, a bridge deal may be a better route. It’d be a shorter term deal with more flexibility as the team evaluates its next steps, and it would allow him to continue to prove himself and work for a higher salary.

Free agency opens on July 1. McMichael is not arbitration eligible.